Hiring Wright could complicate things for Marin.
The potential entry of the former referee and current TV Globo commentator into the CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation) has not gone down well with the directors of the Minas Gerais Football Federation, who see São Paulo as having dominance in the federation; the Atlético-MG versus Flamengo match in the 1981 Libertadores Cup, refereed by Wright, still causes discomfort.
247 - The invitation extended to former referee and TV Globo commentator José Roberto Wright to join the refereeing department of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) could complicate matters for the organization's president, José Maria Marin. According to the Painel FC column in the Folha de São Paulo newspaper, the Minas Gerais Football Federation (FMF) reacted angrily to the news of the hiring. The FMF is one of the five main entities questioning the dominance of São Paulo within the CBF, which is generally perceived as reinforced by Marin's appointment (former president of the São Paulo Football Federation).
José Roberto Wright is perhaps the most hated figure in Minas Gerais football, as he was present at one of the most controversial matches in Brazilian football history: Atlético Mineiro vs. Flamengo in the 1981 Copa Libertadores. The game featured big stars such as Zico, Leandro, Mozer, Raul, Reinaldo, Palhinha, Éder, and Toninho Cerezo. The former referee showed red cards to no fewer than four Atlético Mineiro players. The game decided who would advance to the next phase of the continental competition and was played at the Serra Dourada Stadium in Goiás. Just 10 minutes into the game, Wright sent off Reinaldo, and immediately afterwards, the referee sent Éder, Palhinha, and Chicão off.
After much confusion, goalkeeper João Leite feigned an injury so that the Minas Gerais team would be left with only six players on the field and finish the match. Flamengo was declared the winner of the game and ended up winning the continental tournament that year. The episode caused enormous outrage among Atlético's fans and management.
With his entry into the CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation), Wright could end the stability acquired by Marin and consolidated after a meeting between the presidents of federations last week. Within the CBF, Wright's arrival is seen as yet another demonstration that the president is seeking to decentralize power, opting to place technical people, specialists in their fields, in key positions.