Vitamina Sánchez slams refereeing after Olimpia's loss: 'It's a mess'

Olimpia coach Pablo “Vitamina” Sánchez expressed strong frustration following his team's 1-0 defeat to Sportivo 2 de Mayo, directing his criticism squarely at the match officials. Sánchez stated that the referees' inconsistent application of new regulations, particularly concerning fouls and the push for increased effective playing time, is causing confusion and jeopardizing player safety.

“There’s a mess, they have a jumble with the criteria. They call one thing, another they don't; a silly foul they call it, a push they don't call it. They have us and the players disoriented,” Sánchez lamented. He pointed to specific incidents, including a tackle on Pedro Sosa that he believed warranted a red card, and other infractions against Pedro Zarza, Braian Romero, and Hugo Sandoval that he felt were mishandled.

While acknowledging the positive intent behind rules designed to speed up the game, such as for throw-ins and goal kicks, Sánchez argued that this objective should not come at the expense of correctly sanctioning fouls. "A foul is a foul, it was 40 years ago, 10 years ago, and it is today too. We have to respect these things, especially for the health of the footballer," he asserted. He even revealed that the fourth official agreed with him on one contentious play involving Romeo Benítez, questioning the referee's priorities.

Sánchez indicated his intention to formally request clarification from the authorities responsible for rule interpretation. "I have no problem going with material from what has been generated in these first few dates of the tournament and having them explain it to me. Let them make things clear for me and, if they have to admit a mistake, let them tell me: ‘Yes, we made a mistake here’,” he stated. He questioned whether referees are evaluated on their officiating quality or simply on the amount of game time played, suggesting a misguided focus on minutes over correct calls.