By Alfredo Di Cesare
Sep 17, 2024, 2:27 PM EDT
The subject of refereeing decisions is what generates the most controversy in the world of football. Ex-Chilean referee Carlos Chandía has just done precisely that with his latest statements where he confesses to having favoured Lionel Messi in order to keep the jersey.
In a chat with ESPN, Chandía revealed that he forgave Messi a yellow card that would have been his second and, therefore, a red card. This happened in the 2007 Copa América semi-final that was played in Venezuela during the match against Mexico.
🚨Refereeing aids for the 🔟?
👉Former referee Carlos Chandia confessed to having “helped” Messi to play in the 2007 Copa América Final… in exchange for his shirt!
👉How did he do it? He didn’t send him off for a handball which meant his second yellow card…
📻#ElVbarCaracol pic.twitter.com/5KPjSdofV7
— VBAR CARACOL (@VBarCaracol) September 16, 2024
The Chilean explained that there were two reasons why he decided to forgive Messi’s expulsion. First, the referee described it as an involuntary handball in a harmless play in midfield.
“Messi cost me not to referee the 2007 Copa America final, which was played in Venezuela. He was one yellow card away from missing the final,” he said.
“I give three minutes of added time, Argentina was winning 3-0 against Mexico. Messi, out of nowhere, picks up a ball and cuts it with his hand, in the middle of the field,” he described. It was at that moment that he confessed that sending him off would have meant losing the opportunity to ask for his jersey as a gift.
“There was no chance for Mexico to score or anything like that. So I told him: ‘This play is a yellow card, but it will cost you your shirt.’ I didn’t show him the yellow card, there were two and a half minutes left, they were winning 3-0,” he explained.
“Showing him the yellow card would have cut off his chance to play in the Copa America final. That yellow card cost me the chance to not referee the Copa America final,” he said.
In the end, Chandía damaged his refereeing record during the 2007 Copa América, but achieved his goal. He took Messi’s shirt at the end of the match.
“Messi left it for me in the locker room afterwards. He even wanted to take it off on the pitch and I told him ‘no, no, no; take it to the locker room’. And he arrived with the shirt in the locker room and left it there for me,” he said.
Carlos Chandia today
He started as a professional referee in 2001. During his career he came to be considered by many to be the best referee in his country and one of the 30 best by the IFFHS.
He retired in 2009. In 2012 he entered politics and has since been mayor of the municipality of Coihueco in Chile. He has won three elections in this area.
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