Referees to Cease Pre-Final Press Conferences

No more press conferences will be held by referees before a Copa del Rey final, and a reform of the refereeing model could be implemented as early as next season. These are the main conclusions drawn from the intervention of the President of the Spanish Football Federation (FEF), Rafael Louzán, during a press briefing organised by Europa Press at the Camilo José Cela University in Madrid.

Louzán emphasised that the various stakeholders involved in the commission tasked with renewing the refereeing system have shown agreement so far, and a draft with proposals is expected by June 30. "The refereeing model needs to change. Since I took office, I knew that evolution was essential and necessary. I am confident we can implement it next season," he stated.

Louzán will meet with First Division referees this Friday following the outcry from this group after the pre-final press conference for the Copa del Rey in Seville, where referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea and VAR judge Pablo González Fuertes spoke. The former revealed the pressures referees face and became emotional when discussing what his children hear at school, while the latter added that there would be a firm response from the referees. This led Real Madrid to cancel their official pre-match events, demand a change in the refereeing appointment, and even suggest the possibility of not attending the match.

Regarding this, the FEF President admitted that it was inappropriate for the match referee to speak to the media before the game. "The timing of the press conference was not the most opportune, evidently. It should have been held afterwards. This was the practice, but in the future, it will be done differently," Louzán announced, although he praised De Burgos Bengoetxea's performance in the final when "it was not easy to manage."

Without openly criticising the pressures exerted by Real Madrid on referees through their television, Louzán expressed his support for the referees, conveying his "respect, affection, and admiration," and warned that "many mistakes would be made if it were insisted that they have one tendency or another." Such theories are "having a very negative impact on professional and formative football, where there are more assaults and more verbal violence," Louzán lamented.

Regarding the 'Negreira case', the FEF's top executive admitted it is "a truly embarrassing issue," but added that it has had no impact on the referees' performance. In this regard, Louzán reiterated that Real Madrid President Florentino Pérez asked him to "do something" about the Negreira issue - the payment by Barcelona to the former vice-president of the Technical Committee of Referees (CTA) - but he replied that the matter is in the hands of the judiciary.

He added that he has no problem meeting with the senior white executive, as Real Madrid is "a great club and deserves all the respect, like other clubs." He did not confirm the departure of Luis Medina Cantalejo as the head of the Technical Committee of Referees (CTA), but he hinted at it. "It's not a matter of individuals, but of changing the refereeing structure," he emphasised.

He also pointed out that they are awaiting FIFA's authorisation to implement a simpler version of video refereeing - the Football Video Support (FVS) - in the women's league next season, although he clarified that it is not possible to apply VAR because not all stadiums have the necessary facilities.

In other matters, Louzán announced that the FEF will launch a tender to choose the venue for the next edition of the Copa del Rey, considering that "transparency must prevail" and that interested cities can present themselves as candidates. However, he did not rule out the possibility of Seville's La Cartuja stadium being the venue again.

Regarding the controversy over the 2030 World Cup venues and Vigo's complaint of being irregularly excluded, Louzán insisted that the desire is for both the Galician city and Valencia to be chosen, although he stressed that "the final word" lies with FIFA. However, he warned Vigo's mayor, Abel Caballero, whom he described as "populist," that if he wants things to go well, he should avoid a clash. "That's not the way. He is clearly mistaken. If he truly wants Vigo to have a chance, there must be dialogue," he recommended.

Finally, Louzán expressed his hope that Montse Tomé will continue to lead the women's national team after this summer's European Championship. "I have a great relationship with her, and she gives me a lot of confidence. We are very excited that she can continue with us," he remarked.