Referee Roberto Tobar ready to redeem himself in Copa America 2019 final

Being the referee in the final of Copa America 2019 between Peru vs. Brazil carries a great responsibility, one that Roberto Tobar has been eagerly waiting for to show the world that the stain on his résumé is just a rookie mistake that can be forgotten with an impeccable performance this Sunday in Rio de Janeiro.

Because that's what the Chilean referee needs to leave behind those eight months of suspension imposed by the Chilean National Professional Football Association (ANFP) for the case known as "The Poker Club," which was a group of referees who "clandestinely met to play cards in an apartment in the city of Santiago, drink alcohol, and hand-pick referees for the weekend matches," as reported by Infobae in a 2018 report.

In these poker games, the loser would go on to officiate matches in the provinces so that, with the daily allowances, they could recover the money they lost in the bet, according to Infobae. "The Poker Club," which lasted two years without anyone knowing about its existence, was one of the most scandalous cases of corruption in Chilean football," the media outlet states.

Being part of this club cost Roberto Tobar an eight-month inactive period between 2012 and 2013. This time served him to reflect and straighten his career as a referee, as after that episode, his career took off to the point that he officiated the first leg of the Copa Libertadores final between Boca Juniors vs. River Plate in November of last year.

For the Copa America final between Peru vs. Brazil, just like that Copa Libertadores final, Roberto Tobar will have the assistance of VAR, so his work should be impeccable if he doesn't want to be judged once again by South American football fans.