Argentina’s Lionel Messi takes a free-kick against Brazil during their Copa America semi-final match at the Mineirao Stadium in Belo Horizonte, Brazil July 2, 2019. — AFP pic
And what angered them most was that Ecuadoran referee Roddy Zambrano refused to consult VAR to check the validity of their claims. “According to the aforementioned versions, this interference was caused by President Jair Bolsonaro’s security teams,” said the statement, which was signed by AFA’s refereeing director Federico Beligoy.
The other incident, later in the match, saw Brazil midfielder Arthur shoulder charge defender Nicolas Otamendi in the throat in another off-the-ball incident inside the penalty area. The Brazilian leader went to pitchside at half-time and waved enthusiastically to fans, and at one point climbed onto advertising hoardings and waved the national flag.