A Real Madrid hacker joins the new refereeing leadership.
Yolanda Parga, the wife of the Real Madrid representative, retains her position as head of women's refereeing.
BarcelonaThe new Technical Committee of Referees (CTA) is beginning to take shape. Fran Soto Balirac, the new president, has presented his team's top brass on social media. The Galician lawyer is committed to a cross-functional organizational structure that moves away from the hierarchical model of his predecessor, Luis Medina Cantalejo. The CTA leader has announced the six people who will be tasked with launching the project and has also determined their roles. The two most important positions will be David Fernández Borbalán and Eduardo Prieto Iglesias.
Fernández Borbalán will be the technical director and, therefore, responsible for all decisions made by the referees on the field of play. He will set the editorial line and establish the criteria to be applied by the referees. Previously, the Andalusian served as president of the Bulgarian Referees Committee thanks to his close relationship with Carlos Velasco Carballo, who currently sits on UEFA's refereeing staff.
Prieto Iglesias has been chosen to lead the VAR. The VAR room has given him the opportunity to lead a key area. He will have a team of former referees from the First and Second Divisions under his command, who will be dedicated exclusively to VAR. Fran Soto wanted to introduce this figure to be able to communicate to everyone how the controversial plays of the matchday were resolved. This is undoubtedly a step forward in the CTA's communication policy, following the path paved by other competitions such as the Premier League and Ligue 1.
Yolanda Parga retains her position.
But the most controversial appointment has been that of Yolanda Parga. The Coruña native is married to Carlos Megía Dávila, the current Madrid representative. She raised a hue and cry after Jana Fernández's goal was disallowed in the Montjuïc derby for a nonexistent offside. Alonso, a very popular hacker who is successful on social media and is a self-confessed Real Madrid fan. Alonso is a computer engineer with a PhD in computer security and has served on the board of Telefónica, where he was in charge of cybersecurity. The technology expert will have a free hand to innovate in a Committee that has always been characterized by being outdated at all levels.