La Liga: RFEF Removes Refereeing Chiefs After Controversies and Complaints

The RFEF Makes Structural Changes in Spanish Refereeing

The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) announced significant changes in its refereeing structure, including the departure of the VAR chief and the president of the Technical Committee of Referees. This decision, made on Thursday, marks the beginning of a new stage in Spanish arbitration. Luis Medina Cantalejo, who led the Technical Committee of Referees (CTA) since December 2021, and Carlos Clos Gómez, head of VAR, will leave their positions.

“This decision reflects the desire to open a new era in the field of arbitration, in line with the work carried out by the arbitration system reform group, which includes representatives of the arbitration community, professional clubs and the Federation itself,” the RFEF indicated in a statement.

RFEF

The RFEF thanked Medina Cantalejo and Clos Gómez for their “professionalism and commitment”. The president of the RFEF, Rafael Louzan, had announced at the beginning of the year the intention to make structural changes in Spanish refereeing. Medina Cantalejo and Clos Gómez have been the subject of criticism during the past season, with several clubs expressing their dissatisfaction with refereeing decisions. Real Madrid was one of the clubs that protested the most, even filing a formal complaint with the RFEF and the Higher Sports Council (CSD) in February, accusing the referees of “manipulation and adulteration” of the competition after their 1-0 defeat to Espanyol.

During his time at the CTA, Medina Cantalejo oversaw the investigation of the Negreira case in Spanish football. Barcelona allegedly paid José María Enríquez Negreira’s companies more than 7 million euros between 2001 and 2018, while he was vice president of the referees’ committee. The RFEF will announce the new structure of its Technical Committee of Referees on July 2nd.