AFA lodges complaint with CONMEBOL over refereeing in Brazil defeat

The Argentine Football Association (AFA) on Wednesday lodged a complaint with South American football's governing body CONMEBOL over the "serious and gross refereeing errors" in their Copa America semi-final loss to arch rivals and tournament hosts Brazil.

Lionel Messi's side were beaten 2-0 as their wait for a first major title since 1993 was extended on Tuesday.

AFA president Claudio Tapia also criticised Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro, who attended the game in Belo Horizonte and who performed "a clear political demonstration" that included "an Olympic lap of honor around the stadium at half-time."
Tapia pointed to world football governing body FIFA and CONMEBOL's rules that "prohibit... political demonstrations at a sports event." He added that both governing bodies had in the past "sanctioned players for having visibly demonstrated political allegiance during matches."