Overview
- River lost 1-0 to Boca at La Bombonera on Sunday after playing most of the match with two players sent off.
- An early VAR review led referee Nicolás Ramírez to send off Lucas Martínez Quarta around the ninth or tenth minute and Gonzalo Montiel was later expelled, a sequence River says altered the game’s tactics and outcome.
- Captain Nicolás Otamendi and Montiel publicly listed specific plays they said were mishandled, including a claimed penalty on Otamendi and instances where opponents escaped cards that River says should have been shown.
- Club leaders and commentators named the VAR team, referee Nicolás Ramírez and refereeing authorities including figures linked to the AFA when accusing officials of inconsistent criteria and saying the episode damages trust in Argentine football.
- As of the latest reports there is strong public outcry but no formal AFA response or announced investigation, leaving River calling for explanations and raising the possibility of wider scrutiny of VAR use and referee oversight.