Ero Samson

updated at February 13, 2024 at 11:54 AM

• SC Gremio and Corinthians recently faced off in Round 34 of Brazil's Serie A
• The game witnessed a flurry of interventions by the Video Assisted Referee
• Corinthians' director reportedly stormed the VAR room to protest decisions

The Brazilian Serie A fixture between SC Gremio and Corinthians at the Arena de Gremio in Porto Alegre was marked by significant drama.

Despite being the standout fixture for the weekend, the attention the top flight clash garnered was due to a less-than-impressive reason.

During the action-packed game, Corinthians defender, Matheus Bidu was denied an early penalty by centre referee, Rodrigo Pereira.

Within the first eight minutes, the 36-year-old also showed a red card to fellow Corinthians defender, Bruno Mendez, after reviewing the incident on a pitchside monitor.

The events prompted the club's Director of Football, Alessandro Nunes and his colleagues to attempt entering the VAR room to confront those responsible for the decisions.

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The chaotic incident was captured in a video shared by SportsCenter Brazil.

Nunes speaks on the incident

In the aftermath of the controversy, Nunes addressed the media, explaining his motivations. Per by the Brazilian outlet, Yalla Live, he voiced his protest against the perceived absurdity of the VAR decisions, stating,

"This was my way of protesting against the absurdity of the VAR referee. It does not help the field referee. There was a clear penalty, how long will we continue to see these mistakes?"

The Corinthians director admitted he was wrong for reacting in that way but emphasised the need for improvement in the VAR system, saying,

"Years go by, presidents of the referees' committee change, but we still see the same mistakes. I am not excusing my actions, I made a mistake, and my behaviour was inappropriate. But what is more inappropriate and unfortunate is that the VAR referee remains in front of the screen, watching the event several times and not helping the field referee. We just want equality."

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Despite the controversy, Corinthians managed to secure a hard-fought one-nil victory over Gremio, with Angel Romero's 32nd-minute goal sealing the win.

Nevertheless, Nunes' actions clearly reflect the growing dissatisfaction among the global football sphere with the implementation of the Video Assisted Referee system.

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Endrick escapes brutal tackle unhurt

Sports Brief previously reported on Palmeiras' Endrick suffering a brutal sweep tackle from Corinthians' Maycon as he charged down the field in a late counter-attack in the 93rd minute.

The midfielder, who initially received a yellow card for the brutal tackle on the opposition player, was subsequently sent off with a red card after the Video Assistant Referee intervened.