The Brazilian defender Gustavo Marquesof the Red Bull Bragantinocriticized the fact that they put women to referee big games and minutes later publicly apologized, after being eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Paulista Championship. “First, I want to talk about refereeing. Because it is of no use that we play against São Paulo, Palmeiras or Corinthians and that they put a woman to referee a match of this size,” the defender told ‘TNT Sports’ Brazil, after losing 1-2 at home against São Paulo.
Marques was the scorer of the home team’s goal in the 72nd minute and, after the final whistle, attacked the match referee, Daiane Muniz dos Santos, for being a woman. He accused the referee of “not being honest”, of “ending the dream” of reaching the Paulistão semifinals and of making wrong decisions that harmed his teammates from the start of the match.
“I think São Paulo has all the merit, for the shirt and for the tradition it has. I think she leaned towards them, because regardless of the situation, Red Bull is great, but for her São Paulo was better, it was bigger,” he expressed.
The 24-year-old player, on loan from Portuguese club Benfica, also attacked the tournament organizers for appointing a woman to referee the duel. “I think the São Paulo Federation has to focus on matches of this size and not put a woman. With all due respect to the women of the world. I am married, I have my mother. Sorry if I am saying something against women, but given your level I don’t think I have the ability to referee a match of this type,” he said.
Shortly after, in the mixed zone, Marques confessed that he personally apologized to the referee and asked for forgiveness “from all the women in the world.” “I said things that I should not have said at that moment (…) I am bad, sad. My wife has already reprimanded me, my mother has already reprimanded me. Every human being makes mistakes. I am here to apologize to all women,” he said, according to statements reported by the newspaper ‘Folha de São Paulo’. According to the defender, the referee accepted his apology and asked him to be “more careful” with his comments in the future.
São Paulo, led by Argentine Hernán Crespo, beat Red Bull Bragantino 1-2 at the Cícero de Souza Marques stadium, in Bragança Paulista. The Paraguayan Damián Bobadilla and the Brazilian Lucas Moura were the scorers for the Tricolor de Morumbí.
