Abrafut counterattacks
The Brazilian Football Referees Association (Abrafut) issued a statement to refute Botafogo’s attempt.
The entity said that “the serious and repeated conclusions made by Textor have not yet been supported and corroborated by any evidence, whatever it may be.”
By citing – without the slightest responsibility or proof, just based on personal opinion based on subjectivities – two of the most respected referees in Brazil, South America and the world, with vast international CVs, including men’s and women’s World Cups in various categories, dozens of finals, selected for the Paris Olympics (Daiane Muniz) and in the project for the 2026 World Cup (Raphael Claus), the aforementioned leader takes a stance completely contrary to what is expected of a person with minimal responsibility for the career of a professional and the unblemished history of a human being. Both professionals are examples of dedication to refereeing, examples as human beings, they are professionals of the highest level, the capacity and seriousness with which they treat football serve as a reference for several generations of referees, in several countries.
In another part of the note, Abrafut “vehemently repudiates the statements made by the aforementioned leader, it even repudiates the requests for suspension of both from their activities as referees, since there is nothing, it is reiterated, nothing, that discredits the conduct of the professionals cited.”
