Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Leaked Chats Link Referee to Alleged 2021 Fix as AFA Keeps Him on Banfield–Tigre Duty

A criminal complaint coupled with a union demand puts AFA referee appointments under intensified scrutiny.

Overview

  • TN’s program ¿La ves? published WhatsApp messages attributed to Juan Pablo Beacon and referee Luis Lobo Medina referencing pre‑ and post‑match coordination for Tigre–Mitre on October 12, 2021.
  • The chats reportedly stem from judicial forensic work on Beacon’s phone in a separate Pilar property case and include a message about a 400,000‑peso request from a contact saved as “Tovi II.”
  • The 2021 match ended 3–3 and featured two key controversies now revisited: a double‑yellow sending off for Mitre’s Santiago Corda and a penalty awarded to Tigre that later analyses deemed incorrect.
  • Buenos Aires legislator Facundo Del Gaiso filed a criminal complaint seeking an investigation into possible corruption and match manipulation involving Lobo Medina and Beacon.
  • SADRA formally asked AFA to replace Lobo Medina for Banfield vs Tigre, yet the federation maintained his assignment and he refereed the match as legal and institutional reviews gather momentum.