{"id":214238,"date":"2026-04-01T22:00:09","date_gmt":"2026-04-01T22:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/junior-from-barranquilla-faces-a-difficult-situation-in-the-copa-libertadores-no-referee-available-for-match-against-palmeiras\/"},"modified":"2026-04-01T22:00:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T22:00:10","slug":"junior-from-barranquilla-faces-a-difficult-situation-in-the-copa-libertadores-no-referee-available-for-match-against-palmeiras","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/junior-from-barranquilla-faces-a-difficult-situation-in-the-copa-libertadores-no-referee-available-for-match-against-palmeiras\/","title":{"rendered":"Junior from Barranquilla Faces a Difficult Situation in the Copa Libertadores: No Referee Available for Match Against Palmeiras"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div>\n<div class=\"visual__image image-initial-width\"><picture><source  media=\"(min-width: 1000px)\"\/><source  media=\"(min-width: 768px)\"\/><source  media=\"(min-width: 580px)\"\/><source  media=\"(min-width: 350px)\"\/><source  media=\"(min-width: 80px)\"\/><\/picture><figcaption class=\"article-figcaption-img\">Junior de Barranquilla will face the Copa Libertadores from April 8, with the aim of moving to the round of 16 &#8211; credit Colprensa<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph\">Junior de Barranquilla is gearing up for its much-anticipated debut in the Copa Libertadores. With a solid performance showcasing 25 points in the BetPlay League, the team is eyeing a spot in the playoffs this semester. Achieving this goal remains crucial given the squad&#8217;s past struggles.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"header headline-class-h2 headline\" id=\"referee-issues\">Referee Issues with Junior vs. Palmeiras<\/h2>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><b>As Juniors prepares for their match against Palmeiras, a significant issue looms: the absence of a designated referee.<\/b> As of now, Conmebol has yet to announce who will officiate this exciting match set for April 8, raising concerns among fans and players alike. The game promises to be a thrilling encounter, showcasing talented rosters on both sides.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\">It&#8217;s important to note that Junior will have to host all their Libertadores matches away from Barranquilla. This decision comes as a consequence of renovations at the Metropolitano Stadium and the low capacity of the Romelio Mart\u00ednez. The Jaime Mor\u00f3n Stadium in Cartagena has been selected as their temporary home for the group stage.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"header headline-class-h2 headline\" id=\"uncertainty\">Uncertainty Surrounding Referee Facundo Tello<\/h2>\n<p class=\"paragraph\">Conmebol has been proactive in preparing for the group stage, having completed the draw on March 19. However, there is now uncertainty surrounding the match due to referee Facundo Tello. Currently, it remains uncertain whether he will officiate the match in the group E opener at the Jaime Mor\u00f3n Stadium.<\/p>\n<div class=\"visual__image\"><picture><source  media=\"(min-width: 1000px)\"\/><source  media=\"(min-width: 768px)\"\/><source  media=\"(min-width: 580px)\"\/><source  media=\"(min-width: 350px)\"\/><source  media=\"(min-width: 80px)\"\/><img alt=\"Judge Facundo Tello injured during the World Cup playoff\" class=\"global-image\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"low\" height=\"1353\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Junior-from-Barranquilla-Faces-a-Difficult-Situation-in-the-Copa.JPG\" width=\"2405\"\/><\/picture><figcaption class=\"article-figcaption-img\">Judge Facundo Tello injured during the World Cup playoff &#8211; credit: Eloisa S\u00e1nchez\/REUTERS<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph\">The Argentine referee&#8217;s status remains in limbo after sustaining an injury during a dramatic playoff match between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Jamaica. His inability to recover in time for the Junior vs. Palmeiras game raises concerns among fans and officials alike. It is unclear if Conmebol will appoint a replacement or if Tello will be fit to officiate.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\">If Facundo Tello is unavailable, the officiating team will include Juan Pablo Belatti and Jos\u00e9 Savorani as assistants, along with Sebasti\u00e1n Zunino as the fourth official. Hern\u00e1n Mastr\u00e1ngelo and Germ\u00e1n Delfino will manage the VAR duties.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"header headline-class-h2 headline\" id=\"key-match-against-cali\">Key Match Against Cali<\/h2>\n<p class=\"paragraph\">Meanwhile, Junior is also focused on their upcoming domestic match against Deportivo Cali. This clash is crucial as Barranquilleros aim for their third consecutive victory in the BetPlay League, bringing them closer to playoff eligibility to defend their 2025 title.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><b>Junior will host Deportivo Cali on Friday, April 3<\/b, at 8:30 PM at Romelio Mart\u00ednez, facing a significant challenge. Cali, under coach Rafael Dudamel, seeks vital points to improve their playoff standing, making this an exciting matchup.<\/p>\n<div class=\"visual__image\"><picture><source  media=\"(min-width: 1000px)\"\/><source  media=\"(min-width: 768px)\"\/><source  media=\"(min-width: 580px)\"\/><source  media=\"(min-width: 350px)\"\/><source  media=\"(min-width: 80px)\"\/><img alt=\"Deportivo Cali\" class=\"global-image\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"low\" height=\"851\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775080809_163_Junior-from-Barranquilla-Faces-a-Difficult-Situation-in-the-Copa.jpeg\" width=\"1280\"\/><\/picture><figcaption class=\"article-figcaption-img\">Deportivo Cali aiming for victory against Junior, led by coach Rafael Dudamel &#8211; credit Colprensa<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph\">Coach Alfredo Arias will leverage his team\u2019s attacking prowess, featuring key players like Luis Fernando Muriel and Te\u00f3filo Guti\u00e9rrez, to secure a win. With victory in sight, Barranquilleros are determined to continue their positive streak this season.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/category\/general\/\" rel=\"dofollow\">General News &#8211; 2<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Junior de Barranquilla will face the Copa Libertadores from April 8, with the aim of moving to the round of 16 &#8211; credit Colprensa Junior de Barranquilla is gearing up for its much-anticipated debut in the Copa Libertadores. With a solid performance showcasing 25 points in the BetPlay League, the team is eyeing a spot [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":214239,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[38294,31543,1912,7665,6142,40438,165,36756,38152,4954,1418,9951,36767,21],"class_list":["post-214238","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mazagine","tag-barranquilla","tag-copa","tag-difficult","tag-faces","tag-junior","tag-libertadores","tag-match","tag-north-america","tag-palmeiras","tag-referee","tag-situation","tag-soccer","tag-south-america-central-america","tag-sport"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/214238","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=214238"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/214238\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":214240,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/214238\/revisions\/214240"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/214239"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=214238"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=214238"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=214238"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}