Source: REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian
[Saba Sports News] Recently, Argentine referee Pablo Echavalia asked Boca Juniors forward Edinson Cavani for his jersey after a match, which immediately sparked controversy. In a recent media interview, Echavalia recalled the incident, stating, “I have many jerseys from great Argentine stars. In fact, exchanging jerseys has been a customary practice in all matches, and it will continue to be. It was simply a player exchanging jerseys with another. Perhaps someone happened to witness it while it was happening. My mistake was mentioning it to Cavani in front of the camera. I had that idea, and that’s why it happened. I don’t think it’s a bad thing or illegal. It was a match without controversy; I think exchanging jerseys is a normal occurrence.” In fact, referees are normal fans too; they follow their idols, and as long as they don’t officiate unfairly and uphold their professional ethics, there’s nothing wrong with that.