Corinthians executive Marcelo Paz expressed his outrage over what he considered an obscene gesture by São Paulo’s Bobadilla during their heated derby clash. Speaking after Corinthians’ 3-2 victory at the Neo Química Arena on Sunday, Paz criticized referee Anderson Daronco for failing to send off the midfielder.
Bobadilla made a hand gesture near his groin area while celebrating Luciano’s equalizer, which brought São Paulo level after they had trailed 1-0. Paz argued that the gesture was identical to those made by Corinthians players André and Allan in previous matches against Vasco da Gama and Fluminense, respectively. Both were sent off for touching their private parts during those games.
“The incident with Bobadilla’s gesture should be evaluated as obscene. Everyone knows Corinthians was punished twice for similar acts by different players in different matches. Today, they claimed he didn’t touch the genital area, but I don’t think that’s the defining factor. If it happened at a restaurant or in a public square, it would be offensive,” Paz stated.
The executive confirmed he will seek clarification from the CBF’s arbitration commission. He believes the current rule leaves too much room for interpretation when defining what constitutes an obscene gesture.
“This is a new issue, and maybe people don’t fully understand how to handle it. But we can’t let this slide, because we were recently punished. Either such actions are allowed in football, or the referee made a mistake. There’s no middle ground. Tomorrow, in the meeting, the commission must either admit an error—given it’s a new topic—or confirm that such gestures are permitted. We need clear guidelines on what’s acceptable,” Paz added.
The match had been evenly contested until tensions flared late in the first half. After Luciano scored in the 40th minute, the game was halted for several minutes due to an attack on Calleri and Bobadilla’s controversial gesture.
Amid the controversy, Calleri was struck by objects thrown from the stands while celebrating at the corner flag. Footage showed the Argentine was hit by a pair of glasses and an e-cigarette, which is banned for sale in Brazil. Referee Anderson Daronco, who had been in control until then, began issuing yellow cards to players from both sides.
The tricolor’s number 9 immediately collapsed to the ground. Official broadcast images revealed he was hit on his right hand, though he lay clutching the back of his neck. The atmosphere heated up, and Matheus Bidu’s attempt to help Calleri to his feet triggered a scuffle.
The equalizer came from a mistake by Raniele—who had opened the scoring shortly before—while attempting to play out from his own box. Despite the error and the tense end to the first half, Corinthians remained composed, even opening a 3-1 lead in the second half.
“It’s a mistake he never made in training or previous games. When he makes such a mistake, it’s not about scolding him, but about learning that this type of pass is risky. We tell him to avoid frontal passes and always maintain a high safety margin,” Corinthians coach Fernando Diniz explained.
The crowd began chanting “olé” when Matheuzinho, who had scored Corinthians’ second goal, inadvertently turned the ball into his own net. Diniz stressed that the errors in the goals they conceded did not overshadow the many positives from Corinthians’ strong performance.
“Even when there are errors, what matters is the confidence and courage to keep playing. I think the team showed great variation. We played very well and controlled the game,” Diniz concluded.
