STJD acquits Erick Pulgar and Fluminense president Montenegro

The Superior Tribunal de Justiça Desportiva (STJD) has acquitted Flamengo midfielder Erick Pulgar and Fluminense president Mattheus Montenegro following disciplinary complaints stemming from a recent 'Fla-Flu' derby.

Pulgar was charged under Article 254 of the Brazilian Code of Sports Justice for a violent play against Rodrigo Castillo. The tribunal's 4th Disciplinary Commission unanimously decided that the on-field refereeing decision, which issued a yellow card, should be respected under the principle of minimum intervention.

Mattheus Montenegro was charged under Article 258 for conduct contrary to sports ethics after publicly criticizing the officiating as 'garbage' and 'crap' following the match. The tribunal acquitted him by a 2-1 vote.

The decision has drawn scrutiny from Palmeiras management, which expressed concerns regarding the consistency of STJD criteria compared to previous rulings involving their own players. In a separate disciplinary matter, the STJD converted a potential suspension for Internacional assistant coach Pablo Fernández into a mere warning after evaluating his complaints against referees as low-severity.