- Alicante, Elche and Orihuela referee recruitment extended
The FFCV extended the term for the Football Referee Courses until September 9 in all the delegations, except in the capital of Valencia, where enrolment had already closed.
“The Technical Committee of Arbitrators was forced to close the course of the delegation in Valencia, due to the maximum number of applications having been exceeded.
“At the moment, the number of students for this year’s training is on the way to a record, since more than 500 registrations have been exceeded,” said a FFCV statement.
Registration that remained open until September 9 included: Castellon, Baix Maestrat, and Castello de la Plana.
Valencia: Camp de Morverdre, Gandia, The Riverside, Alicante, Alcoi, Benidorm, Elche, Orihuela and Elda.
In 2020 former referee Eduardo Iturralde Gonzalez reportedly claimed 90% of match officials in Spain support Real Madrid – with 10% supporting Barcelona.
Iturralde, who refereed almost 300 games in La Liga, before retiring in 2012: “Around 90% go with Real and 10% with Barcelona,” he told Cadena Ser when asked how many officials have a soft spot for Madrid or Barca.
“Whether Barca (fans) like it or not, 70% of the Spanish population, excluding Catalonia, are Real Madrid supporters.
“There are more Barca fans these days because the younger generation has seen the trophies they won under Guardiola. But before the ‘Lionel Messi era,’ how many people supported Madrid in Spain? About 70%?.
“Personally, I don’t care about one or the other. I’m Athletic (Bilbao). Everyone knows that I am Athletic, but I would go against them to try and be fair.
“The majority of referees are Real Madrid (supporters),” he said in 2014.
“We don’t come from Mars. You become a referee, because you like football and there’s no one that likes football that doesn’t have a team.
“I’m lucky to have been born in Bilbao. Everyone is Athletic there. But in the rest of Spain, the majority are Real Madrid of Barcelona fans, because they’re the teams that win. And that’s how it is. And the majority are Real Madrid.”
