Understand the reason that led Botafogo to request the removal of referee Raphael Claus

Botafogo sent, this Tuesday (23), a letter to the CBF requesting that referee Raphael Claus not whistle the classic against Flamengo, on Sunday (28), and also asked that he stay out of Glorioso’s lineups while run the CPI for Manipulation of Games and Sports Betting.

The Brazilian Football Confederation appointed a controversial refereeing team for the match. Raphael Claus would be the main referee, and Anderson Daronco would act as the fourth referee, something that hasn’t happened for years.

What triggered the board’s alert was Claus’s record in the last matches he officiated for the black and white club. In a statement to the CPI, John Textor cited alleged errors by the referee, who also whistled Botafogo 1×2 Flamengo in the 2023 Brasileiro, a classic that was marked by several controversies with the refereeing, including the two red and black goals, according to Glorioso.

“The referee in question does not enjoy the necessary independence and impartiality – nor the trust of the public and other actors involved, including CR Flamengo himself – to referee SAF Botafogo matches, at least not until the CPI investigations are completed”, he says document sent by Botafogo.

The document also mentions video referee Daiane Caroline Muniz dos Santos. After the testimony of the owner of SAF, the president of the CPI, Jorge Kajuru (PSB-GO), asked that Claus and Daiane be invited to testify, as witnesses and in a secret session.

According to the report, both referees were selected together in 11 of the 38 rounds of the Brazilian Championship, causing strangeness, while other pairs were selected together in a maximum of three rounds. And that both, “unfortunately”, ended up “getting involved in controversial moves”.

Check out the complete refereeing team for Flamengo x Botafogo:

Referee: Raphael Claus (FIFA/SP)

Assistant 1: Danilo Ricardo Simon Manis (Fifa/SP)

Assistant 2: Evandro de Melo Lima (SP)

Fourth referee: Anderson Daronco (FIFA/RS)

Advisor: Raimundo Nonato Lopo de Abreu (DF)

VAR: Rodolpho Toski Marques (VAR-Fifa/PR)

AVAR: Sidmar dos Santos Meurer (PR)

AVAR 2: Bruno Arleu de Araújo (FIFA/RJ)

VAR Observer: Hilton Moutinho Rodrigues (RJ)

Botafogo faces Flamengo, next Sunday, at 11 am, at Maracanã, in the 4th round of the Brazilian Championship, in a game that could be worth the top of the table. Botafogo is third with 6 points, while its rival is second with 7 points.