Former referees have shared their opinions on the disallowed goal that prevented Palmeiras from securing a win against Remo in a 1-1 draw at Mangueirão, during the 15th round of the Brazilian Championship.
In the 49th minute of the second half, Flaco López contested an aerial ball with a Remo defender. The ball struck the Argentine’s hand and fell to Bruno Fuchs, who scored. Referee Rafael Rodrigo Klein initially allowed the goal, but after a VAR review, he overturned it, citing a handball by the attacker.
### Former Referees’ Opinions
**Alfredo Loebeling**
“The rule states that if the ball hits a player’s arm and another player scores, the goal is valid if it is unintentional. Once the VAR and referee deemed Flaco’s action intentional, the controversy ends. If you consider it a natural movement, the officiating was wrong. But if the VAR considered it intentional, the referee must disallow it.”
**Guilherme Ceretta (Referee in the USA)**
“For me, it was a legal goal. The goal was scored by a teammate after an accidental handball, so it should have stood. It’s become a mess—no one follows FIFA’s rules anymore; everyone follows their own guidelines.”
**Carlos Eugênio Simon**
“This rule has changed. If the ball hits the scorer’s own arm, whether accidental or deliberate, the goal is disallowed. But in this case, the ball fell to a teammate who scored. The Remo defender headed the ball onto the Palmeiras player’s arm in a natural motion—completely accidental—and it went to Bruno Fuchs, who finished. According to the rule, the goal is legal.”
**Ulisses Tavares**
“The ball hit Flaco’s arm, which was extended, increasing his body area, and then went to Bruno Fuchs, who scored. Correctly disallowed. Although he waited for the VAR decision, the referee could have called it without needing VAR.”
**Ana Paula Oliveira**
“Looking at the image, Flaco’s arm was open, widening his body space, so the goal was correctly disallowed. If the ball had hit his arm against his body, the goal should have stood, since it was his teammate who scored.”
**Emídio Marques**
“There was no irregularity in the goal, as the player who scored didn’t commit any infringement. Before he received the ball and scored, it accidentally touched another player’s arm. Therefore, nothing was wrong. The referee’s decision was mistaken, even though he had the chance to review the images when called by VAR.”
Rafael Rodrigo Klein during Remo vs Palmeiras, Brazilian Championship
Image: Cesar Greco/Palmeiras/by Canon
### VAR Audio
**Rafael Traci (VAR)**
“Rafa, I recommend a review for a possible handball by the player in white. The ball hits his hand and goes to another.”
**Rafael Klein (Referee)**
“There’s a handball. The ball goes to the player in white who scores. I’m disallowing the goal with an indirect free kick for a sanctionable handball, okay?”
### Palmeiras Outrage
After the match, Bruno Fuchs and Anderson Barros, Palmeiras’ football director, criticized the decision. Both argued that the ball hitting Flaco López’s hand before the defender scored did not invalidate the goal. Barros went further, citing an IFAB rule.
“I know it’s become annoying, sometimes in games, when some professionals responsible for football departments question what happens. But unfortunately, we can’t shy away from it. Today, I wish you could take a minute to judge. According to the International…”
