It was almost 14 days of investigation. Almost two weeks of interrogations, investigations of calls and even review of different elements that were directly and indirectly related to the strong accusation that was made in the audio in which Francisco Gilabert, the judge of the duel between Huachipato and Copiapó, for the Promotion, claimed to have received pressure. A few words, that beyond being of his authorshipdid not coincide with the dialogues held in the VAR booth, that were revealed by the Quilín series.
The days were advancing and the investigation was opening. The background of the case was carried out by Miguel Ángel Valdés, the compliance officer of the ANFP, who does not have any dependency with the Quilín headquarters, and who was hired to detect irregularities within the organization. The lawyer did not leave any point to chance. He reviewed and analyzed each variable. He spoke several times with Francisco Gilabert himself, the audio referee, Cristian Droguett, one of the judges who was in the VAR, and Mario Vargas himself, the QM who was accused of having transmitted the message that the order came from Santiago . They all gave background information. To these was added the story of Felipe Jerez, Javier Castrilli, Osvaldo Talamilla, Cristian Andaur, among others, who confessed and released data that ended up delivering a clear conclusion: the information disclosed (Gilabert’s audio) was engineered and organized to discredit the referees and the commission that commanded themas he was able to find out Sporting. They sought to discredit and spread distorted or false material that only sought to generate conscious damage to the ANFP and the transparency of the activity.
“According to the information analyzed in the course of this investigation, it was possible to reliably determine, in more than 200 pages of the internal investigation report, through interviews, data collection, reports (external and internal) and various documentary evidence, that there is not and has not been undue intervention or pressure, abuse of authority or any interference on the part of third parties, with respect to the decision adopted by the arbitrator, Mr. Gilabert, ”says the brief.
“In the course of this investigation, background and data were collected that show the existence of acts intended to discredit and spread distorted information to destabilize Chilean arbitration, which damaged the National Association of Professional Soccer and the transparency of the activity” , complements.
Faced with such a scenario, the compliance officer handed over all the records to the disciplinary tribunal. He did it before in a meeting he had this Monday, at 2:00 p.m., with the board of directors led by Pablo Milad. The names of Francisco Gilabert, Cristian Droguett, Felipe Jerez and Mario Vargas will be analyzed to review their cases and evaluate future punishments, that they can even be disassociated forever from the ANFP.
During the afternoon, the Chilean soccer clubs were notified through a circular. In addition, it was recommended that the Quilín headquarters deliver the data to the Public Ministry so that it initiates an investigation in relation to the guilt that could exist for disseminating audios without consent.
The story began weeks ago, with the leaking of Gilabert’s audios. “I say that it seems to me that it is a game action, I am going to go with a corner kick. ‘Francisco, please analyze the shirt,’ they tell me. What about me? Chucha, there I understood that something had happened. I don’t know what the hell, but something weird. And I left with that feeling of collecting a hueá that wasn’t. The game ends and the VAR tells me ‘thank God you took the penalty, thank goodness you understood us’. Whore yes, but what the heck happened. ‘No, they called me from Santiago that I had to charge a penalty,’” said Francisco Gilabert, in the information published by Radio ADN.
The accusation hit the ANFP. It forced emergency meetings, which ultimately led to the dismissal of Javier Castrilli, the head of the referees’ commission. Once the accusations against the trans-Andean were exposed, Pablo Milad, the president, asked him to freeze his position while the investigation lasted. Castrilli refused the request and asked to be fired. “I feel frustrated, they brought me for a task that I had been carrying out, but the situation and the situation force them to make this decision. I did not resign, it is true that I was told that the commission was going to be suspended for an investigation, that I initiated, that I promoted, that I summoned the witnesses, that I said that it was necessary to take to justice to clarify. That I continued to investigate from the beginning of my administration, ”said the former FIFA judge at that time.
Mario Vargas, in conversation with Sporting, advanced the statement he had given. Put in the dilemma of opting for a word to define his possible role in the incidence, Vargas is categorical. “I don’t like any of them, because there was nothing. Neither intervention nor intermediation. The rest would be to invent something for him, but I don’t characterize myself for that”, commented.
Today, the compliance officer will deliver all the records to the Disciplinary Tribunal. From then on, the other autonomous entity of the ANFP must begin to allocate the punishments to a complaint that, without a doubt, muddied the activity.
Faced with complaints, Javier Castrilli was always undaunted. He repeated, on more than one occasion, that he was calm. He claimed innocence and urged that the accused referees’ calls be reviewed. “I voluntarily make available to the ANFP my cell phone and that of the members of the dismissed Commission with the details of all the calls made and received on the day and time during the match”said the Argentine.
Today, his name flies again through the headquarters of Quilín. His return to the ANFP is not ruled out, despite the fact that part of the board of directors believes that he completed his term. Enrique Osses, the former head of the commission, toncipated in an interview with this medium that his return should not be ruled out if his innocence is proven.
“Should Castrilli return if his innocence is proven? It is a possibility, but it is not up to me to define it. If it is determined that he did not exert any undue pressure, any calls, which is why he was fired, the leadership can reverse the situation and work so that the changes in refereeing are more gradual, more progressive, not so radical and do not generate so much instabilityhe pointed.