Flamengo announced it will appeal to CONMEBOL over the absurd red card shown to Gonzalo Plata during the first leg of the 2025 Copa Libertadores quarterfinals against Estudiantes.

The brutal kick Gonzalo Plata received

Colombian referee Andrés Rojas gave Plata a second yellow card just eight minutes before the final whistle — a decision that sparked outrage at the Maracanã and led directly to Estudiantes’ goal, cutting the deficit to 2-1 heading into next week’s decisive clash in La Plata.

In an official statement, Flamengo called Rojas’ decisions a “parade of errors,” accusing him of showing bias and imbalance in favor of the visitors, which directly affected the outcome of the game.

The club stressed that Plata’s dismissal for a second yellow was unjust, as he was actually the one fouled. They also criticized Estudiantes’ goal by Léo Pereira as “irregular,” noting that the ball struck the player’s arm in a way that extended his body unnaturally.

“Situations like these cannot be treated as mere mistakes, but as a direct attack on the integrity of the tournament,” Flamengo declared, demanding that CONMEBOL urgently review the decision so Plata can play in the return leg next Thursday.

Despite the narrow victory, Flamengo left the Maracanã without celebrating, with several players refusing to shake the referee’s hand. Plata, meanwhile, expressed his frustration on social media, regretting that he won’t be able to support his teammates on the field in the second leg.

Flamengo Lashes Out at the Colombian Referee

Filipe Luís Blasts Andrés Rojas

“Unfortunately, today the referee wanted to be the protagonist of the match. And when that happens, he officiates without focus, without paying attention to the plays he should. You mentioned some, but there’s the penalty on Lino in the first half, the yellow card fouls, the extreme arrogance and haughtiness toward our players, and a very permissive attitude toward their team.”

“The arrogance and hubris of Mr. Andrés caused many families to leave here feeling wronged. All the work we put in was undermined by a referee seeking the spotlight. All I ask for is an apology and acknowledgment of the mistake. We all make mistakes, myself included. If he admits his error, fine, but we know that won’t happen.”

“The referee was completely out of control... Of course, it irritates the players; there’s no going back. Everyone is outraged by what happened on the field. No matter how much we try to stay calm for the 90 minutes, when these injustices and this arrogance occur... I hope it’s like in Spain: that they review Plata’s yellow card and overturn it so he can play the return leg. He won’t play, and there’s nothing we can do about it.”

“I’d like them to explain how a referee can have such a clear intent to send off a player like he did with Plata. I can’t wrap my head around it, and I’d really like an explanation. What I hope is that this referee doesn’t officiate any more Libertadores 2025 matches from now on. In our games? God forbid.”

Samuel Lino and Guillermo Varela Also Criticize the Refereeing

Samuel Lino: “The final result was heavily influenced by the refereeing. The mistakes made today hurt us immensely. They scored a goal at our home, and a lot of that had to do with today’s refereeing. A senseless expulsion, invented fouls, yellow cards that aren’t yellows, and nothing for Estudiantes. That’s what’s unbelievable. For us, everything; for Estudiantes, nothing.”

Guillermo Varela: “Congratulations to our team; we played a great game. In the first half, we had the chance to extend our lead, but we couldn’t. The match was under control, and the referee showed us yellow cards and nothing to them. But that’s the Libertadores. Our team is ready to go out and win.”

José Boto Denounces “Scandalous Refereeing” in the Libertadores

“I’ll try to sum up what happened today in a few words. I’ll ask CONMEBOL to carefully analyze what took place. A penalty in our favor turned into a red card for Plata, which not only hurt us in this match but will also hurt us in the return leg. In the play leading to their goal, the ball hit the arm of an Estudiantes player. It can’t be a coincidence.”

“Once again, a team with much more possession, that plays far more attacking football, ends up with more yellow cards than the other team. An Estudiantes player commits a serious foul on De Arrascaeta in the first half, and the referee doesn’t even show a yellow card, which would’ve been his second. He turns a penalty into a red card for one of our players.”

“I find it scandalous, shameful, that in South America’s premier competition, we keep seeing things like this. I ask CONMEBOL to pay attention to the return leg because this cannot happen again. It’s important that someone comes here to speak out. What happened out there was a scandal.”

Matías Viña’s Complaint Against the Fourth Official

“Everyone heard it. I speak Spanish. The fourth official told Estudiantes’ coach that their player already had a yellow card. Then, in the second half, the same thing happened.”

Flamengo to Appeal to CONMEBOL Over Gonzalo Plata’s Expulsion

According to ESPN Brasil, Flamengo will appeal to CONMEBOL to try to overturn Gonzalo Plata’s expulsion ahead of the second leg of the quarterfinals in La Plata. The red card caused outrage within the Mengão, who hope to have the Ecuadorian available at the Estadio UNO Jorge Luis Hirschi.