Flamengo's vice president of football, Kleber Leite, has requested that the president of the National Refereeing Commission, Sérgio Correa, change the officiating for Sunday's classic match between Flamengo and Botafogo. The referee scheduled for the match is Marcelo de Lima Henrique, the same referee who was involved in numerous controversies during the last Guanabara Cup final between Flamengo and Botafogo.

"I left a message for him because I understand there was a mistake in the referee's selection. Although the committee's work is excellent, the referee himself must not be comfortable with the choice. Flamengo feels threatened. With so many good referees, appointing one who caused controversy in the last match between the clubs doesn't seem prudent to me. I have nothing against him; I consider him a good referee. I requested a change because to err is human, and recognizing a mistake is intelligent. I used common sense to try to make the change."