“The referees are still amateurs. We are in the worst moment of refereeing”: Winston Reátegui and his harsh diagnosis that also questions the VAR

Once again, the performance of referees in Liga 1 is under scrutiny. After matchday 9 of the Clausura Tournament, which had Micke Palomino as the referee of the classic that Universitario won against Alianza Lima, and where there were controversies, Winston Reátegui, former FIFA referee and former president of the National Referees Commission, stated that the situation has reached a breaking point: “We are at the worst moment of refereeing.”

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Reátegui, who presided over Conar between January and May 2025 and currently analyzes refereeing decisions on L1 Max and the podcast “El Arranque,” spoke with El Comercio about the crisis facing national refereeing, the choice of Palomino for the classic, and the reasons why, in his view, FIFA referees “are not up to the mark.” His diagnosis is severe and points beyond those who hold the whistle: for the former referee, the problem also lies with those who manage and train Peruvian refereeing.

—Are we in the worst crisis of Peruvian refereeing?

I consider this the worst moment for refereeing, not only because of the referees’ performances but also due to the inconsistency between CONAR, the refereeing department, and what they want to convey. They released VAR audios where they say that the plays by (Williams) Riveros (Universitario defender vs Comerciantes Unidos) are penalties, that (Alex) Valera’s is not a red card, and many other plays. The one by Juan Pablo II against Alianza Lima is not a foul. And they put audios where everything is fine. So they understand that everything is fine. Then I ask, if everything is fine, why aren’t the referees involved in those controversies scheduled for this matchday? Why do they assign two first division referees for the most important matches of this date, which are the classic and the Sport Boys vs Deportivo Garcilaso match in Callao? Note that they are first division referees and not FIFA referees.

—You were head of Conar between January and May 2025. During that time, what did you do to improve refereeing in Peru?

That year, what I proposed was to innovate with the referees, to give opportunities to young referees. That’s why for the first classic of Peruvian football, which was in April, I gave the opportunity to Daniel Ureta, because I understood that at that moment, all referees needed to be given a chance. I also proposed the dissemination of the VAR audios that were being made public. What I sought was to make everything transparent, the good and the bad, as it should be. Just as referees should be rewarded when they get things right, they should also be called out when they make mistakes because they are human beings. From there, I requested the change of the Conar board before the board of the Peruvian Football Federation. And the one who ended up being removed was me.

—There was no change in the Conar board

In five months, I couldn’t do much. I wanted to propose the professionalization of refereeing, which still hasn’t happened. Referees remain amateurs. We are at the worst moment of refereeing.

—What is the root of the problem?

I believe the people in charge of the refereeing department, the person responsible for VAR, are not qualified for the position. They are good people, but I don’t want good people for a position. I want people who take responsibility and do the job well. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case. When I left the position, they appointed Mr. Víctor Hugo Carrillo as president of CONAR, who throughout 2026 has been head of the refereeing department. Mr. Johnny Bossio is responsible for the VAR department, and now we see that the VAR really leaves much to be desired. I truly believe I am still being very polite about the things happening in refereeing. So, it must be understood that it is also their responsibility, not just the referees’. Now, referees as a whole must have proper training, and they are not getting it. That’s why I say refereeing needs restructuring from the top, not just the referees. It would be very easy to say: the FIFA referees leave, we will restructure, and the people responsible, those who manage refereeing, those who must train referees to do a better job, do they stay? Then the whistle will always break on the weakest side, and that’s not right. If we want real restructuring, we must have a strong CONAR board, made up of managers, people who know administration, planning, organization, and the head of the refereeing department with the technical part of the rules of the game and the considerations given today to referees.

—When you were president of Conar, you said in a press conference that clubs, if they wish, can request a foreign referee team. Is that a solution? Would the clubs bear those costs?

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There is always the option that they can request foreign referees. But it must also be understood that the need for foreign referees is because unfortunately national referees are not up to the mark, and the costs will always be borne by the teams requesting them. But it must be all: VAR, on-field referees, the fourth official. And that is a requirement that must have the approval of the Professional Football League because it is not a simple situation.

—How costly would that be?

The cost to bring an international referee team for a match is expensive because it’s not only the fees of all, but also the tickets, per diems. It’s quite a considerable sum. But beyond that, I think we should focus more on training our referees. Unfortunately, it must be said: those in charge of refereeing are not qualified.

—Why does VAR generate so many controversies in Peru? Is it a matter of capacity or tools?

The VAR issue, like refereeing, I consider is a matter of capacity. Referees today are not qualified either to manage the match or to be in VAR. Unfortunately, that’s the case. The people in charge of training are not up to the task. No one listens to the head of the refereeing department. Nor to the person responsible for VAR. So, under those parameters, progress cannot be made. There is no work line that we can say “this is the work line we will follow.” It doesn’t exist. That’s why error follows error.

—Are we the South American country with the worst refereeing?

I don’t know. The only thing I know is that we are going through a very complicated moment in Peruvian refereeing.

—How does a referee live and work in Peru?

Refereeing in Peru is amateur, it is not professional refereeing. This means referees have to pay for their insurance, handle their issues in case of injuries. It’s not like at the end of the month they receive a salary as players do. A football player in a professional team, if injured, is still calm because at the end of the month they will receive their salary. In Peruvian refereeing, it’s not like that.

—Is there a solution right now to improve refereeing?

The solution this year is complicated. Let’s hope referees raise their level. I would propose that for 2027 there be restructuring in refereeing: new faces, a new CONAR, that CONAR has management people, not academics, and that the academic part, the refereeing department, and the person responsible for VAR be other people, not those who are now, because those who are now have shown they are not up to the task. And put people who today or next year can give new directives, like technical talks, weekly field practices to correct errors, something that is not happening now. I don’t understand why technical talks are given every 15 days, I don’t understand. There are no field practices. No VAR audio practices in the booths, no simulations. So, the new head of the refereeing department and the new person responsible for VAR must focus on that, and the CONAR board must manage. They don’t necessarily have to be managers, but provide all referees with the conditions to develop their activity in the best way: fields, psychologists, nutritionists, weekly technical talks, field practices that give all the elements, all the conditions to referees to improve. Otherwise, we will fall into the same thing, unfortunately.

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Marco Quilca León

Journalist at Deporte Total of El Comercio since 2018, the same year Peru fulfilled the dream of returning to a World Cup. Seven years at the newspaper covering Qualifiers, Copa América, World Cup, Olympic Games, Pan American Games, live and streaming. See more

marco.quilca@comercio.com.pe

@MarcoQuilca_06