For the first time, referees in Spain’s top division will speak on television after matches to explain their decisions. The change starts this weekend, with matchday 11 of LaLiga.
Fans have argued about refereeing in Spain for years, and the officials have mostly stayed silent after the final whistle. That now changes, at least for some games.
How it will work
The plan comes from an agreement between LaLiga, the Spanish football federation and the referees’ union, AESAF. It will start slowly. After each round, the referees from two matches will give interviews to the broadcasters that hold the TV rights. The referees’ technical committee will choose those two matches.
LaLiga has also set aside 500,000 euros for the referees as a payment for this media work.
Referees already gave short interviews before some matches at the start of this season. Speaking after a game is a much bigger step, because that is when the hard questions come, about penalties, red cards and VAR calls.
Simeone has a joke ready
Diego Simeone was asked about the new rule at his press conference on Friday, before Atlético Madrid’s trip to Levante. The Atlético coach smiled and said he hopes the referees will speak well of his team.
Atlético go into the weekend two points behind leaders Barcelona, who host Alavés on Saturday. Real Madrid visit Racing Santander on Sunday.
Why now
The aim is to make refereeing in Spain more open. The thinking is simple: a referee who explains a call in his own words may calm a row down instead of feeding it.
Our take
This is a good idea, as long as it is done honestly. Fans do not expect referees to be perfect. They want to know why a decision was made. A referee who admits a mistake will earn more respect than one who says nothing.
The risk is that the interviews turn into one more thing to fight about on social media. Two games a week is a sensible start, and LaLiga should only add more once both sides are happy with how it works.
Should referees speak after every game? Tell us in the comments.
Photos via Wikimedia Commons: Jesús Gil Manzano by DalmaFCB (CC BY-SA 4.0), Diego Simeone by Barcex (CC BY-SA 4.0), Metropolitano press room by Cabeza2000 (CC BY-SA 4.0), Estadi Ciutat de València by Francesc Fort (CC BY-SA 4.0).
