World Shock, FIFA Punishes Spanish Referees: 'Mateu Lahoz Has the...'

Spanish refereeing is experiencing complicated months, weeks, and days, especially due to the controversies arising from the "Negreira Case" or the famous letter from Real Madrid to the RFEF. The soccer world observes the usual situation in Spanish competitions like LaLiga EA Sports or the Copa del Rey, something that seems evident with the latest FIFA punishment. The organizing body has published the list of referees who will officiate the matches of the Club World Cup, a competition that Barça will not play, but will feature Real Madrid and Atlético.

The surprise is worldwide, as the tournament, which will be held between June 15 and July 13, will not feature any Spanish referees on the field. This is the decision made by FIFA, the organizing entity of the first major Club World Cup to be held in the United States this coming summer. As is evident, the final decision indicates the little trust in LaLiga EA Sports referees by FIFA, the highest organized body of world soccer.

Spanish representatives in the Club World Cup will be in the VOR room making use, as is logical and evident, of the VAR. Out of the 24 candidates, FIFA has only kept Del Cerro Grande and Hernández Hernández, both the only representatives of the RFEF, led in the CTA by Medina Cantalejo. The decision is surprising, as the RFEF usually had the most prestigious referees in the world, as valued by UEFA or FIFA in the case of national teams.

Worldwide Surprise, FIFA Punishes Spanish Referees: "Mateu Lahoz Has the..."

In total, there will be 11 European field referees among a final list of 34. The most notable selections have been the Norwegian Eskås, the Romanian Kovacs, the French Letexier and Turpin, and the Polish Marciniak. It is noteworthy that Marciniak, the referee who annulled Julián Álvarez's penalty against Real Madrid in the Champions League round of 16, will be present.

FIFA's decision shows that the controversies are greatly affecting Spanish refereeing, which also raises doubts due to its poor level. Meanwhile, the RFEF considers that secondary figures like Mateu Lahoz, now a refereeing analyst, do not help "to improve the image of refereeing," which is embroiled in multiple controversies week after week.