President of CBF Responds to Abel about Refereeing: ‘When it favors, no one speaks’

The President of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), Samir Xaud, questioned statements made by Abel Ferreira, Palmeiras’ coach, regarding national refereeing. Last Tuesday (25), the Portuguese coach claimed that Palmeiras has been frequently harmed since the controversial derby against São Paulo. Xaud countered by stating that when there are benefits resulting from mistakes, clubs remain silent. ‘We see that every round the statements change, opinions change. When there is an error that benefits a team, no one speaks up, but when there is an error that harms them, they do,’ he said at the Summit CBF Academy event on Wednesday (26). ‘To me, it’s very natural. I believe mistakes happen, but we are working to improve our football as a whole and also enhance our refereeing,’ he added.