The referees can be left in the hands of a businessman
The Federation and the League propose changing the position of president to a senior executive who is not linked to refereeing.
BarcelonaThe Spanish Football Federation and La Liga have been working together for months on revamping the refereeing structure.
What no one was considering was the unprecedented measure they have in mind: eliminating the position of president of the CTA and replacing him with an executive outside the refereeing community. This new position also seeks to establish a position for a former referee who can forge a certain connection between the top official and the professional referees. This position would have no influence on major decision-making and its function would be solely representative.
This unprecedented structure is causing significant concern within the community. The fact that the selection of this person falls to the Spanish Federation and the League is a cause for concern, as they believe he or she will have interests other than the genuine defense of the refereeing establishment. Furthermore, this decision runs counter to the desire to create an independent referees' committee, as exists in the Premier League, where referees govern themselves without depending on any federation.
Furthermore, potential candidates to replace Medina Cantalejo will have to reconsider whether they want to be part of a structure in which authority has been withdrawn from referees and placed in the hands of football clubs and the Federation itself. Historically, the president of the CTA has enjoyed absolute power to unilaterally make all significant decisions, especially regarding promotion and relegation, and this will no longer be the case.
The best-placed candidates were David Fernández Borbalán, a former international who had chaired the CTA in Bulgaria, and Bernardino González Vázquez, who is currently on the board.
The referees' association will be represented by a law firm.
The first step toward establishing the Spanish Association of Football Referees (AEAF) has already been taken, and the first meeting to select representatives will soon be held. The referees who are members of this group are those from the First Division, those from the Second Division, and those from the Liga F. They are the only ones eligible to join because they have professional contracts.
The members of the AEAF themselves have decided that a law firm will be in charge of fighting for their rights and criminally prosecuting all those who violate the honor of referees.
