The referee, protagonist of a controversy in Boca – Racing for the International Super Cup, directed a match of the Portuguese team and Agustín Rossi in the Saudi Arabian League.
The reappearance of Fernando Rapallini in an official meeting, after the controversial arbitration in the International Super Cup between Boca and Racing played in Abu Dhabi, It did not happen in Argentina. Far from the national territory and crossing the African continent, the image of the Argentine judge, who participated in the World Cup in Qatar, took place in an exotic place: Saudi Arabiato lead the match played by the Al Nasserwhich has Cristiano Ronaldo, Agustín Rossi y Gonzalo ‘Pity’ Martinez, among their ranks, for the League.
On January 20, Rapallini had an unfortunate performance, riddled with controversy, in the final of the International Super Cup who ended up crowning Racing after beating Boca by 2-1, in Abu Dhabi. The main target of criticism was the penalty awarded for the Academia, that gave the agonizing victory to the Avellaneda team, with just a few minutes to go before regulation time ends. In a play that led to many interpretations, Rapallini did not go to VAR to review it and for a long time it was a point to question.
Right now, Rapallini He did not lead again in Argentine territory. For the first date of the Professional Soccer League, the World Cup referee was not appointed to deliver justice in any of the 14 matches that were played, initially because from Abu Dhabi he went directly to Conmebol for a preseason training course, before the start of the Copa Libertadores and Sudamericana. But the return to the field, occurred in the Arab League, precisely directing the match that ended with a 2-2 draw between the Al Nasser of Cristiano Ronaldo and the Argentinian goalkeeper Agustín Rossi y Gonzalo Martinez contra Al-Fateh.
During the match, the linesman who accompanied Rapallini denied him Cristiano’s first official goal for the team, after annulling it due to a clearly advanced position that was confirmed by the VAR team, led by Mauro Vigliano.
When the game seemed to close with a 2-1 defeat for the team led by Agustín Rossi and Pity Martínez, Rapallini decided to award a controversial penalty Cristiano Ronaldo obviously took charge of it, who with a shot in the middle was in charge of converting his first official goal -he had already done it twice in the friendly against PSG-.
In addition, a few seconds before, the Argentine referee admonished the Portuguese striker after a cross with one of his rivals and sent off the author of Al Nasser’s first goal, Anderson Talisca.
This party is not the first one he has led in Saudi Arabia this year, as he Rapallini had been the protagonist in the final of the Saudi Super Cup that Al Ittihad lifted after beating Al Feiha 2-0. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, for the second date of the LPF was not appointed to direct.
The history of referees who led the Saudi Arabian League has several chapters. During 2020, after his great performance at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, the retired referee Nestor Pitana He was a participant in the date 24, while Argentine soccer was going through a stoppage. Particularity? Like Rapallini, he led a party of the Al Nasser who, on that occasion, thrashed 4-1 a Al Tawoun.
