BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) – Controversial referee German Delfino has been re-instated for the first leg of the Libertadores Cup’s last-16 tie between River Plate and Boca Juniors after serving a suspension for a “messy” decision reversal in an Argentine league match.
Delfino sparked ire from Velez Sarsfield after over-turning his own handball decision that awarded the Argentine team a penalty and saw Arsenal defender Daniel Rosero Valencia sent off three weeks ago.
Just before the penalty was taken, Delfino was apparently alerted by his linesman that it was Rosero Valencia’s opponent Pavone who had handled the ball, prompting the referee to call the Arsenal defender back much to Velez’s fury.
Delfino, hailed as the golden boy of Argentine refereeing when he made his top flight debut in 2010, was sanctioned by the AFA for “messy procedure” and dropped from the list of referees for the following weekend’s league programme.
After the match, Delfino admitted his handling of the incident was messy but said he was also happy that justice had been done.
Delfino was named by the Argentine FA on Wednesday to officiate when the two biggest rivals in the domestic league clash at River’s El Monumental on May 7 in South America’s top club competition.
“(The Libertadores tie) was a match I’d been hoping for,” Delfino told a local radio station on Wednesday. “I’m quite excited, happy to be in such an important match again.”
The second leg of the Libertadores Cup tie will be played a week later at Boca’s La Bombonera where the rivals meet first in an Argentine league championship match this Sunday.