Earthquake in Spanish arbitration: the RFEF dismisses the arbitration establishment

Spanish football woke up with news that is already creeping into the football collective. And the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) decided to dismiss the arbitration establishment, headed by Luis Medina Cantalejo.

Medina Cantalejo, president of the Technical Committee of Referees (CTA) until this Thursday, learned of the decision to dismiss him at the City of Football of Las Rozas, where he was summoned along with Carlos Clos Gómez (head of VAR) and Antonio Rubinos Pérez (assistant to the presidency).

In this sense, the three vice presidents of the organization were also dismissed, who respond to the names of Vicente Lizondo Cortés, Bernardino González Vázquez and José Luis Lesma López.

The now former representatives of Spanish arbitration would have received an email this Wednesday (June 25) where they were asked to appear at the aforementioned location. Similarly, the RFEF dignitary, Rafael Louzán, was the one who communicated the decision to everyone.

Related

The RFEF Coaches Committee awards Hansi Flick

Undiano Mallenco, Yuste and Parga retain their positions

In this context, the RFEF will keep Alberto Undiano Mallenco (former referee) and Juan Carlos Yuste (former international assistant) in the arbitration structure, for now. Similarly, Yolanda Parga will continue as head of women's arbitration and is a member of the current Board of Directors.

According to the statement published by the RFEF, this is due to the intention to generate changes related to arbitration.

“This decision responds to the desire to open a new stage in the arbitration field, in line with the work developed by the arbitration system reform group in which representatives of the arbitration collective, professional clubs and the Federation itself participate. A space for dialogue and proposals that has laid the foundations for a more modern, efficient and adapted model to the current needs of Spanish football”, the letter states.

Similarly, it was announced that the new structure that will be in charge of the CTA will be announced next Wednesday, July 2.

Did Real Madrid's pressure take effect?

In January of this year, the president of the RFEF admitted in an interview with Josep Pedrerol the pressure received by the president of Real Madrid, Florentino Pérez, regarding the arbitration system.

"He insists a lot (Florentino Pérez) with the issue of the ref

 

erees, but it's not from now; he has already told me several times. In Arabia a year ago he told me 'you have to resolve that issue of the referees, which is hurting us, and we have lost many titles because of the referees'. I believe in the work of the referee”, Louzán commented at the time.

Similarly, he stated that the president of Real Madrid also expressed to him that he would bring English referees to referee in Spanish football.