The referee for Inter Miami's Major League Soccer clash with Orlando City was changed at the last minute on Saturday after images of the official emerged on social media wearing a Miami shirt.
Brazilian official Guiherme Ceretta has been appointed by the Professional Referee Organisation (PRO) as the referee for the game at Chase Stadium in a list of assignments published on Saturday morning. But within a couple of hours, he had been hooked from the game, with fourth official Jamie Herrera set to take his place.
"Referee Guiherme Ceretta was removed from the game due to a potential conflict," a PRO spokesman said, confirming the move, which will see Ivan Cid Cruz elevated to fourth official.
A series of images of Ceretta posing for pictures wearing Inter Miami's black and pink away kit were shared on X by the account MLS Referee Stats. The post was captioned "Your Scab referee for Miami vs Orlando, folks!"
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Ceretta's appointment was announced at 9am ET, but by 11.45am he had been taken off duty. The game kicks off at 4.30 ET.
It is inevitable that referees have their own allegiances and teams they support, but they are required to declare conflicts of interest that could influence their performance and decision-making.
The saga comes in the midst of a dispute between the PRO and the Professional Soccer Referees Association (PRSA). The labour agreement between the organisations expired on February 12 and they are yet to agree to a new collective bargaining agreement, leading to a lockout.
With referees from the PRSA out of action, replacement officials such as Ceretta, who has extensive experience officiating games in his homeland, have been required for the opening two weeks of the MLS Season, leading to widespread criticism from fans.
Inter Miami's 1-1 draw with Los Angeles Galaxy last week was particularly controversial, with the Galaxy's Mark Delgado shown a game-changing second yellow card for a non-existent foul on Sergio Busquets. Lionel Messi went on to score a stoppage-time equaliser.
While MLS executives issued a memo to the league's board of governors that they have been "pleased" by the replacement referees' performances so far, the PRSA responded by saying there had been a negative impact on VAR usage and the pace of play.
A new collective bargaining offer from the PRO to the PRSA is on the table until midnight on March 11, according to The Athletic. If the deal goes unsigned, the next offer to the PRSA will have “less favourable terms in some areas".
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