Soccer-Chile federation files complaint over Copa America refereeing

FILE PHOTO: Jun 29, 2024; Orlando, FL, USA; Chile forward Eduardo Vargas (11) and forward Alexis Sanchez (10) interact with the referee after giving defender Gabriel Suazo (2) a red card against Canada during the first half at Inter&Co Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-USA TODAY Sports

(Reuters) - Chile's football federation (FFC) has called on South American soccer's governing body (CONMEBOL) to suspend referee Wilmar Roldan after they were knocked out of the Copa America on Saturday following a 0-0 draw with Canada.

The FCC said Colombian referee Roldan lacked impartiality in their matches and had made "gross errors" in the game against the Canadians.

Chile were incensed after being reduced to 10 men when Gabriel Suazo picked up a second yellow card in the 27th minute of the match in Orlando.

They also felt aggrieved after Canada defender Moise Bombito appeared to elbow Rodrigo Echeverria in the fifth minute of the match but VAR did not review the incident.

In the letter addressed to CONMEBOL's refereeing commission, the FCC said Roldan had also made "blatant errors" at the 2021 Copa America where he failed to award Chile a penalty in a 2-0 group-stage loss to Paraguay.

CONMEBOL rejected an FCC request to suspend the referee after that match.

"The FFC requests that the referee Wilmar Roldan be sanctioned with an indefinite and definitive suspension and/or with the maximum sanction applicable to such disastrous conduct," the FCC wrote in the letter signed by Secretary General Jorge Yunge Williams.

"This corresponds to Mr Roldan's recurrent behaviour in those matches in which he referees the Chilean national team."

The FFC also raised issues with the officiating in their other group matches against Argentina and Peru, saying Uruguayan Andres Matonte and Wilton Sampaio of Brazil were guilty of "questionable refereeing decisions".

Chile exited the tournament after failing to score a single goal. The Copa winners in 2015 and 2016 had not been eliminated earlier than the quarter-finals of the tournament since 2004.

(Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in Mexico City; Editing by Peter Rutherford)