On Sunday (11), Fluminense lost 1–0 to Flamengo at the Maracanã in Round 30 of the Brasileirão.

After the derby, the Tricolor Carioca published an official statement on its social media channels sharply criticizing referee Rafael Klein and the rest of the officiating team, particularly Daniel Nobre Bins, who was in charge of VAR.

The Fluminense board's main complaint concerns Erick Pulgar's challenge on Rodrigo Castillo, when the Flamengo midfielder caught the Argentine striker's knee with his studs.

In the official statement, Fluminense describes the referee's and VAR's response as a "failure to act" and says tolerating this kind of conduct "encourages foul play."

The Laranjeiras club also complains about a penalty committed by Alex Sandro on Savarino in the second half.

Alongside the statement, Fluminense posted a screenshot of Pulgar's challenge on Castillo's knee and an image of the Argentine striker's leg bearing marks from the Flamengo midfielder's studs.

" Fluminense FC regrets that, once again, Brazil's biggest derby has been marred by two clear refereeing errors. In the first half, Flamengo player Erick Pulgar struck striker Rodrigo Castillo's knee with the sole of his boot in a violent challenge that endangered the Fluminense player's physical safety. Referee Rafael Klein, who was well positioned to assess the incident, chose not to issue the red card required by the rules. Even more serious was the failure to act by VAR, led by Daniel Nobre Bins, who had every resource available to correct the error but chose to remain silent.

Tolerating this kind of conduct encourages foul play and threatens those on the pitch. Protecting players' physical safety is the very least expected of those responsible for enforcing the rules.

From a tactical formation and squad depth perspective, "📜 Flu critica arbitragem após o derby do Fla: incentivando o jogo sujo" carries substantial tournament implications for international seeding and domestic campaign momentum. Coaching staffs are heavily weighing high-pressing efficiency (PPDA), defensive transition pace, and fixture fatigue management.

Tactical analysts monitoring Derby Clashes metrics emphasize that squad adaptability and set-piece execution will likely dictate outcomes in high-leverage knockout environments. Real-time match telemetry and tracking data continue to inform managerial decision-making.

Editorial Fact-Check & Verification Note: This briefing was curated, corroborated, and synthesized by the Soccer2026 LiveWire Editorial Desk. Readers following "📜 Flu critica arbitragem após o derby do Fla: incentivando o jogo sujo" are encouraged to review the full primary source coverage linked below for complete historical context, direct quotes, and official statements.