The Argentine Professional Football League prepares to name the referee for Sunday’s Superclásico between Boca Juniors and River Plate, with Yael Falcón Pérez, Facundo Tello, and Nicolás Ramírez emerging as the three candidate judges for the fixture at La Bombonera, TyC Sports reported. The official appointment is expected to arrive on Tuesday ahead of the round-15 Clausura fixture scheduled for Sunday at 15:00 local time (18:00 UTC).
Scrutiny Over Refereeing Decisions
River Plate enters the marquee matchup carrying persistent concerns regarding officiating standards that date back to the start of the second semester, La Página Millonaria reported. Club president Stefano Di Carlo previously voiced public discontent over several contested rulings, adding tension to the upcoming rivalry clash. Supporters in Núñez have closely tracked a striking statistical trend in recent weeks: across River’s last three outings, the team scored eight goals, but the video assistant referee intervened on four occasions to review plays, resulting in three disallowed goals at a rate of one per match. League records show that through the first 15 fixtures of the Clausura tournament, River has accumulated four goals chalked off following VAR reviews.
The Controversy From the Monumental
Memories remain sharp regarding the previous encounter between the two rivals at the Estadio Monumental, where late drama sparked fierce protests. Referee Darío Herrera opted against penalizing a challenge by Lautaro Blanco on Lucas Martínez Quarta inside the penalty area, a decision the VAR chose not to overturn. Months later, opposing coaching staff acknowledged the mistake, La Página Millonaria reported. Herrera, who also oversaw Boca’s victory at the Monumental featuring a goal from Leandro Paredes, is absent from the candidate pool for Sunday’s match.
Track Records of the Three Candidates
Each of the three referees under consideration brings a distinct history handling River Plate fixtures. Yael Falcón Pérez has officiated 23 matches involving River, recording nine wins, five draws, and nine losses. His two previous Superclásicos came during the 2024 calendar year: a 1-1 draw at the Monumental in the opening phase of the Copa de la Liga, followed by a 2-3 defeat for River in the quarterfinals in Córdoba. That quarterfinal featured a disputed VAR review that disallowed a River goal on the grounds that the ball had not entirely crossed the goal line, a ruling contested due to inconclusive broadcast angles.
Facundo Tello holds the longest gap since his last assignment in the fixture. Tello has taken charge of 39 River matches overall, yielding 22 wins, eight draws, and nine losses. Despite a favorable overall win percentage with the club, his career includes high-profile matches marred by controversy, notably the 2021 Superclásico at La Bombonera where Carlos Tévez scored following an unpenalized push on Jonatan Maidana. Tello’s four total Superclásicos include one River victory and three draws in regulation time, with his last appearance in the derby coming during the 2021 Copa de la Liga quarterfinals, which Boca won on penalties.
Nicolás Ramírez enters the selection process as the candidate carrying the strongest recent consensus among league administrators. Ramírez has refereed 21 matches for River, producing 11 victories, three draws, and seven defeats. Across three prior Superclásicos, he oversaw two River wins—a 1-0 victory at La Bombonera in 2024 featuring a goal by Manuel Lanzini, and a 2-1 result at the Monumental—alongside one Boca victory, a 2-0 win at La Bombonera marked by a goal from Exequiel Zeballos that followed a contested challenge on Paulo Díaz.
Pending League Announcement
The Professional Football League office handles the final appointment process, with the referee announcement scheduled to be made public on Tuesday. With kickoff set for Sunday afternoon in Buenos Aires, the chosen official will step onto the pitch.
Related reading
