Scandal: Pavón was accused of assaulting a police officer after Gremio's elimination

The recent elimination of Gremio from the Copa do Brasil not only caused sports repercussions but also led to controversies off the field. One of the most talked-about events involved the Argentine forward Cristian Pavón, who experienced an especially hectic night at the Arena do Gremio. The former Boca player was involved in a situation that escalated from the football realm to the legal one, following a confrontation with a police officer.

The second leg of the local tournament's third round ended in a 0-0 draw against Centro Sportivo Alagoano (CSA), a Serie C team. With this result, the modest team from Alagoas advanced to the next round, as they had surprisingly won the first leg 3-2.

The conflict involving the Argentine arose from referee Matheus Candancan's decision to disallow Aravena's goal, which would have tied the series, due to a prior foul, causing an angry reaction among Gremio's players.

Although the VAR intervened to review the play, the disallowance was upheld, adding tension and drama to the end of the match. The situation quickly escalated, and Pavón, visibly affected by the referee's decision, was involved in a very controversial moment when he attempted to spit at him.

However, the "shot" ended up hitting a police officer, leading to the player's temporary detention by security forces. The former Boca player was taken to Jecrim, the Special Criminal Court located within the stadium, where he gave a statement regarding an accusation of attempted assault. In one of the videos circulating on social media, the player is seen leaving the place escorted by security.

Scandal: Pavón was accused of assaulting a police officer after Gremio's elimination

According to local media like Zero Hora, Pavón offered an apology to the assaulted officer. However, his actions did not go unnoticed, and a formal complaint for attempted assault was filed. Meanwhile, Guaíba Esporte confirmed that Gremio's number 7 will face a legal process for the incident, although it is unknown what type of sanction he will receive.

Meanwhile, Alberto Guerra, president of the Porto Alegre club, spoke bluntly after the match. In his statements, he expressed: "What is happening with Brazilian refereeing is unacceptable", clearly conveying the institutional frustration with what they consider to be recurring unfavorable decisions.