NAI FOIMO

• In 1962 eight years had gone by since Boca Juniors had been champion. At the end of the championship Boca enthusiasts were eager to celebrate again, though there was still a crucial match to play against Boca's traditional rival River Plate. Nai Foino was the referee. Near the end of the match there's a penalty shot for River Plate. Brazilian player "Delem" started walking toward the ball and at the same moment Boca's goalkeeper, tall and husky Antonio "Tano" Roma, starts running toward "Delem". Nai Foino let it go. "Delem" shot is easily intercepted by Roma, the ball goes out of the field. (This action may be seen nowadays on YouTube).
  It is considered that nullifying the action would have resulted in violent riots in the stadium of an unpredictable outcome, given the amount of Boca Juniors enthusiasts all over the country and in the stadium itself. And there was a lot of tension during the match. After Roma's blocking, most of River Plate's players got furious and approached Nai Foino to complaint. He answered "Beat it, beat it... a penalty shot properly executed winds up in goal..." ("Aire, aire... penal bien pateado es gol...").
  Some years after retiring, being interviewed in his Remedios de Escalada house, a few miles Southeast of Buenos Aires city, Nai Foino told he had been menaced on his phone to obtain a certain result of a certain upcoming important match, but he just cursed the caller and slammed down the phone.
  Thanks to Nacho
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