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Liga de Quito Questions Refereeing After Janner Corozo's Red Card Against Emelec

From El Comercio · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Liga de Quito is questioning the refereeing decisions in the 2026 Liga Pro season, particularly after a red card shown to Janner Corozo during their 2-0 victory over Emelec.
  • The club's sporting director, Eduardo Álvarez, stated the expulsion was an error and that the club will request explanations from the National Refereeing Commission.
  • This incident adds to Liga de Quito's ongoing complaints about officiating, including a previously disallowed goal in a match against Manta.

Liga de Quito continues to voice its dissatisfaction with the officiating in the 2026 Liga Pro season, with its latest grievance stemming from a controversial red card issued to player Janner Corozo. The incident occurred during their 2-0 win against Emelec on August 23, a match that saw Corozo sent off late in the first half following a VAR review.

There was a refereeing error, in my opinion. The two cameras do not show strong and clear contact to determine it was a red card. I don't even know if it was an action for VAR to intervene.

— Eduardo ÁlvarezLiga de Quito's sporting director, Eduardo Álvarez, commented on the controversial red card decision.

The expulsion followed a corner kick where the VAR system alerted the referee to a potential aggression by Corozo against an Emelec player. After reviewing the footage, the referee issued a direct red card. Liga de Quito's management has challenged both the interpretation of the play and the VAR's intervention, arguing that the available video evidence did not clearly show an act warranting a sending-off.

Eduardo Álvarez, Liga de Quito's sporting director, labeled the decision a refereeing error, stating that the camera angles did not provide conclusive proof of strong contact. He also questioned the necessity of VAR intervention in the first place. Álvarez confirmed the club's intention to formally request explanations from the National Refereeing Commission and reiterated that Liga de Quito is not the only team expressing concerns about the quality of officiating.

We will request explanations, send another letter to Néstor Pitana, and we will request the referees' ratings again. We are not the only team complaining.

— Eduardo ÁlvarezÁlvarez outlined the club's next steps in seeking clarification on officiating decisions.

This latest controversy is part of a pattern of complaints from Liga de Quito regarding refereeing this season. Previously, the club protested a disallowed goal in their 1-1 draw against Manta, which they believed significantly impacted the match's outcome. Former interim coach Patricio Hurtado publicly expressed his discontent following that game, highlighting the team's feeling that officiating has been unfavorable.

We leave with the feeling that...

— Patricio HurtadoFormer interim coach Patricio Hurtado expressed his dissatisfaction after a previous match where a goal was disallowed.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El Comercio in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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