Overview
- The AFA released the VAR audio that records the exchange between VAR chief Jorge Baliño and referee Darío Herrera, showing the VAR team inviting an on-field review that led Herrera to award a penalty for contact by Leandro González Pírez on Enzo Copetti.
- The same audio and VAR checks show officials concluded Ignacio Ovando’s arm stayed in a natural position during an aerial duel, so the handball claim against Rosario Central was treated as non-sanctionable.
- Jorge Baliño publicly defended the VAR rulings in radio and television interviews and challenged critics to present legal evidence of wrongdoing, saying those with proof should take the matter to the courts.
- La Nación and other outlets report the AFA will review possible sanctions for players involved in post-goal incidents and for Estudiantes president Juan Sebastián Verón after he entered the field and called the referee a 'thief,' a prior 2025 sanction for Verón may be considered.
- The disclosures aim to increase transparency about how video review works by documenting the VAR-to-referee workflow, yet they have intensified public skepticism because critics point to perceived political links between Rosario Central and AFA leaders that feed broader doubts about refereeing credibility.