The coach of Sporting Cristal, Claudio Vivas, criticized Brazilian referee Anderson Daronco for his performance in the quarterfinals of the Copa Sudamericana. Vivas said that the referee acted arrogantly.
"I didn't like the refereeing. This referee has already officiated for us. With his physical influence, he thinks he can intimidate everyone. He wants to dominate everyone. He added five minutes of extra time considering two VAR interventions and six substitutions," Vivas said.
Vivas also stated that Zulia's second goal should not have been allowed. "The second goal is not legitimate. I am in favor of VAR, but VAR did not act accordingly this time. The goal was offside and I challenge anyone on that," Sporting Cristal's coach said.
The coach added that he doesn't care about any repercussions from CONMEBOL for his statements. "I don't care about the consequences from CONMEBOL. I am in favor of this new proposal from CONMEBOL and in favor of VAR. What I don't support are these arrogant referees who want to intrude upon everyone with their physical imposition," he said.
Finally, Vivas expressed his hope that the South American football governing body not only punishes him, but also the Brazilian referee. "I hope that CONMEBOL not only sanctions me, but also sanctions this gentleman because I may lose my job. Maybe it's because of the consequences of a referee who doesn't consult VAR, who doesn't review the offside play or reviews it incorrectly, who doesn't review the play of [Christopher] Gonzales, and thus leaves us out of the Copa Sudamericana," Sporting Cristal's coach concluded.