The betrayal behind the appointment of the referee for the Cup final

BarcelonaThe appointment of Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea as referee for the Copa del Rey final has raised a lot of controversy among the refereeing community and has increased the indignation of the referees themselves towards their president, Luis Medina Cantalejo. The Seville-based leader of the Technical Refereeing Committee (CTA) has decided to leave César Soto Grado with a bitter taste in his mouth, who has been left without the his Final. Behind this choice lies a story of betrayal, political interests, and revenge that has been brewing for the past few days.

The award for retiring referees

Historically, the referee who leaves the field of play usually officiates the Cup final, especially if it's an international one. In recent years, Estrada Fernández, Undiano Mallenco, Clos Gómez, Mejuto González, and Medina Cantalejo himself have put the icing on the cake, and only Pérez Lasa was ignored due to his ongoing feud with Sánchez Arminio, the then president of the CTA.

This season, three First Division referees are retiring: Soto Grado, Melero López, and González Fuertes. The only one who wears the FIFA badge is the former, so his name was on every list. There was no debate within the CTA leadership, and the fact that he was registered with the Riojan college (despite being born in Castilla y León) facilitated his appointment, as no team from that region could reach the final.

Soto Grado assumed the Copa del Rey final would bear his name. Months earlier, he played his cards close to his chest to try to extend his refereeing career for another season. The 45-year age limit was recently removed, and the CTA can grant an extension if it deems appropriate. There are two precedents: Mateu Lahoz and Del Cerro Grande. The Valencian and Madrid natives' careers were extended because they were in contention for the World Cup in Qatar and were also part of UEFA's select Elite Category group, the highest consideration for an international referee.

Soto Grado doesn't meet these requirements, since his presence in Europe is minimal: this year he has only refereed one Conference League match. He is the lowest-ranked Spanish international referee, and from a sporting perspective, there are no arguments to justify his continued presence.

Even so, the referee from the La Rioja Committee tabled the possibility, and when he was met with a refusal from Medina Cantalejo, he showed his support for David Fernández Borbalán, one of the strongest candidates to replace the current president. This infuriated the Andalusian leader, who unilaterally decided that Soto Grado would not referee this Saturday's Clásico at La Cartuja (Seville) and, in the process, gave the gift to one of his defenders, De Burgos Bengoetxea, a referee who has always served the current CTA.

The sad farewell of Mateu Lahoz

He modus operandi Medina Cantalejo's performance is not surprising given the precedents of recent seasons. At the time placed Estrada Fernàndez in the FurgoVAR and also made life difficult for Mateu Lahoz in the final stretch of his career. The Valencian referee had a notable participation in the 2022 World Cup, where he officiated the quarterfinals between Argentina and the Netherlands, but upon his return to La Liga, he was sidelined from the big events.

Despite being one of the most prestigious referees internationally, he received assignments that were not worthy of his status and was not allowed to say goodbye where he wanted. Retiring referees always have the opportunity to choose the stadium in which they want to hang up their whistle, and Mateu requested Celta-Barça. His last wish was denied: his final match was a lackluster Mallorca-Rayo at Son Moix.