Argentine referee Fernando Espinoza has sparked a fresh disciplinary scandal within the Argentine Football Association (AFA) after using a viral internet meme during a match coin toss and subsequently launching a scathing WhatsApp critique against his superiors. According to reports from La Nación, Espinoza was left off the designation list for all 15 matches of the 2026 Torneo Clausura’s seventh round following the incident.
The Viral Coin Toss and Disciplinary Fallout
The controversy began during the pre-match captain’s meeting between Belgrano and Defensa y Justicia, when Espinoza asked team captains Lisandro López and Leandro Fernández if they wanted to “farmear aura”—a Spanish internet slang phrase loosely translating to competing for coolness—to determine who would kick off. Video footage of the moment quickly circulated across social media platforms including ESPN Premium. In addition to the verbal remark, Espinoza used a custom coin featuring the crests of both competing clubs.
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Officials distributed a strict directive to a messaging group of more than 100 referees, explicitly banning non-protocol expressions, comments, or manifestations during pre-match ceremonies. The DNA also mandated that referees use standard coins designated specifically for the procedure, prohibiting items bearing team insignias or jocose elements.
WhatsApp Audio Leaks and Criticism of AFA Leadership
Following his omission from the weekend match schedules, Espinoza voiced his frustrations in two leaked WhatsApp voice notes distributed among his colleagues. In the recordings, Espinoza criticized national referee director Federico Beligoy and technical director Fernando Rapallini, arguing that leadership penalized him simply because his viral moment generated massive digital reach.
Espinoza also revealed personal hardship during the dispute, stating that he flew directly from Ecuador—where he officiated as an AVAR in a Copa Libertadores match between Liga de Quito and Mirassol—straight to Córdoba. He explained that he managed the Belgrano fixture despite learning of the sudden death of his father-in-law from a heart attack. “I directed it anyway and came back when I could and buried him yesterday,” Espinoza stated in the audio broadcast by La Nación.
Historical Context and Previous Controversies
The latest dispute revives scrutiny over Espinoza’s tenure as a Primera División referee and his interactions with AFA officials. In March 2026, Clarín published investigative details indicating that AFA treasurer Pablo Toviggino allegedly directed financial transfers to referees, including a 120,000-peso transaction executed in December 2020 by former Patagonic Football Federation president Juan Pablo Beacon.
Further text message exchanges published from an April 2021 Copa de la Liga match between Racing Club and Arsenal de Sarandí showed Espinoza messaging Beacon regarding match outcomes and instructing him to inform Toviggino. While Espinoza remains active as the head of the Mendoza Referees Association (ACAMA) and a union secretary, his conduct continues to draw intense oversight from sports media and football regulators alike.
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