The Penalty Debate

Ex-player Leonardo Astrada and journalist Diego Fucks engaged in a heated debate on a TV show regarding the referee's decision not to award a penalty to River Plate during their match against Tigre. The discussion centered around the opinion of commentator Juan Pablo Varsky, who defended the referee's decision.

Astrada and Fucks, both involved in the match, had different views. Astrada criticized Varsky, stating, 'If you as a journalist see it three times, you can't go out and say it wasn't a penalty.' Fucks, on the other hand, defended Varsky, saying, 'If he says it wasn't a penalty, it's his opinion and I respect it as anyone else's. Now, if I go to blame him for River not getting a penalty, I'm at least an idiot. It's crazy to blame a journalist for a referee not calling a penalty.'

The Referee's Explanation

After the match, which ended with Tigre's 1-0 victory over River Plate, referee Andrés Gariano explained his decision. Gariano said, 'The VAR confirmed it quickly, it wasn't three minutes to confirm the play. The good thing is that we had the injured players on the field and gave more time to the booth to work.' Gariano added, 'They checked and saw the same as I did on the field, the same report, so they supported my decision.' Gariano also confirmed that the VAR, Yamil Possi, also saw the same and did not consider it necessary to review the action.

Varsky's Defense

In response to the criticism, Varsky explained his opinion on social media, saying, 'I think Angel [Correa] was falling, and I don’t think it’s a penalty. It also has to do with my way of seeing football. I can be wrong, but a photo isn’t football, it’s a sport of dynamics, contact, and movements.' Varsky also stated that his opinion is the least relevant, adding, 'We might not be right, but the most important is the referee’s decision, which allows the game to continue, and the VAR, which is there to help him, told him to continue. There was no call. Moreover, they don’t listen to what we say, no matter how many people believe they do.'