Raphinha condemns refereeing after Brazil’s 3-2 friendly defeat by Japan

Raphinha strongly criticised the referee after Brazil were beaten 3-2 by Japan in a friendly on Saturday, saying a series of decisions had significantly influenced the match.

The Barcelona forward and Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti were both sent off after protesting against the referee’s decisions following Japan’s third goal.

Speaking to Globo after the game, Raphinha apologised for his dismissal but said the circumstances had made it difficult to remain calm.

“First, I would like to take this opportunity to apologise for the red card,” he said. “It is difficult to control yourself in situations like this, especially with the number of mistakes the referee made.”

Raphinha said he had tried to discuss the decisions with the official but felt there had been no willingness to engage.

“I tried to speak to him, but I did not feel that he was open to dialogue,” he added. “I think he made many mistakes during the match. I will try to believe they were just mistakes, but what happened is unacceptable.”

Japan moved into a two-goal lead by the 19th minute, before Vinicius Junior pulled one back for Brazil in the 33rd minute of the first half.

Brazil then levelled when Vinicius Junior scored again 30 minutes into the second half. However, Sakamoto secured victory for the Asian side by scoring Japan’s third goal in added time.

Raphinha claimed Brazil had been disadvantaged by several incidents, including the build-up to Japan’s opening goal.

“There was a foul before the first goal, and the player also touched the ball with his hand, although that can be understood under the current rules,” he said. “There was also a clear penalty for me, and then their third goal happened.”

He also disputed the decision that allowed Japan’s winning goal to stand, saying Joao had been fouled in the move.

“There was a very clear foul on Joao, but the referee decided to let play continue and, with the help of the video assistant referee, awarded the goal,” said Raphinha.

Despite his anger at the officiating, the Barcelona player said Brazil had made progress during the match and had produced a stronger second-half performance.

“We tried to give our best from the beginning without ignoring the areas we need to improve,” he said. “We are developing and starting to find our identity on the pitch.”

“In my view, we played a great match. Our performance in the second half was much better than in the first, but when you also have to play against the referee, things become difficult.”

Raphinha ended by saying Brazil could not ignore what he considered serious refereeing errors.

“We cannot let what happened with the officiating pass without taking a clear position,” he said.