Fernando Espinoza became embroiled in a strong controversy within Argentine refereeing after two audios were revealed in which he harshly questioned his superiors for not being appointed for the seventh round of the 2026 Clausura Tournament.
Espinoza's messages were sent to a WhatsApp group composed of more than 100 referees, including Federico Beligoy, national director of Refereeing, and Fernando Rapallini, technical referee manager. Although he did not mention them directly, the content of his audios targeted the leadership of the organization.
One of the main reasons for his anger was being left out of the appointments for the upcoming matchday. "I was waiting for the appointment and knew I wasn't going to play. I know when I play and when I don't play as well. Let that be clear. In 15 days, I can tell you that too," he stated.
Espinoza questioned the decision of the National Directorate of Refereeing
In the audios, the referee also referred to the repercussions of the episode he starred in during the match between Belgrano and Defensa y Justicia, when he surprised the captains with a question about a “farming aura competition.”
According to Espinoza, that scene had enormous diffusion on social media. However, he used that fact to question the determination of his superiors and the lack of communication he received afterward.
"While they bring a psychologist to the Winter Camp to say that the personal situation the referee is going through is very important, they saw my statuses and didn't even call me. They made the decision to stop me because I have more views than the most important match of the round," he claimed.
The referee also criticized the way the authorities handled the situation and demanded direct contact with the referees before making decisions.
Fernando Espinoza's message to “Turco” Habib
Part of his statement was directed at Marcelo “Turco” Habib, secretary of the National Directorate of Refereeing and responsible for communicating the appointments. Espinoza clarified that he did not hold him responsible for the decision and highlighted his role within the structure. "You are the only one who shows your face here, Turco," he told him.
However, immediately after, he hardened his criticism towards the rest of those responsible: "They are clever to post statements in a group, but they are not clever enough to call and ask what is happening. So they are so small and have looked so foolish in this situation that they fill their mouths with words."
The statement continued with an even stronger phrase: "Be a little smarter next time; you just ended up looking like idiots. Big greetings to everyone and sorry, Turco, this is not for you. Everyone in this group knows who this is for."
