Nicolás Gamboa has been sanctioned by the Referees’ Committee of the ANFP following the recent match between O’Higgins and Colo Colo, which ended in a 1-1 draw. The committee criticized Gamboa for failing to send off Alan Saldivia for a foul against Rodrigo Godoy in the 39th minute of the game.
The ANFP, led by Roberto Tobar, expressed its dissatisfaction, stating that both the on-field decision and the VAR review were incorrect. They emphasized that Saldivia’s foul warranted a red card, as it put the opponent’s physical integrity at risk. The committee pointed out that the VAR’s assessment incorrectly categorized the foul as merely reckless rather than a more serious offense.
As a result of this oversight, Gamboa will not officiate any matches during the 18th round of the Primera Liga. Additionally, Franco Jiménez and Wladimir Muñoz, the VAR officials for the match, also face sanctions for failing to alert Gamboa about the incident from the video assistant referee booth.
This decision has drawn attention from former Referees’ Committee President Javier Castrilli, who took to social media to highlight past issues with Gamboa. Castrilli recalled that Gamboa and other referees were previously removed from officiating to avoid negatively impacting clubs and players but were later reinstated. He criticized the current state of refereeing in Chile, suggesting that previous mistakes continue to have repercussions on today’s officiating landscape.
This development underscores the ongoing challenges within officiating in Chilean football, highlighting the need for vigilance and accountability at all levels to ensure fair play on the field. The ANFP’s decisive action hopes to restore confidence in the officiating system and improve the quality of refereeing in future matches.