‘That’s not good news’ – Fans react to controversial former referee, Mateu Lahoz emerging as the main candidate for the role of President in the Spanish FA
Mateu Lahoz was a referee in La Liga for 15 years, debuting in 2008
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Mateu Lahoz (Source: via Marca and EFE)
Former La Liga and World Cup referee, Antonio Mateu Lahoz has emerged as the ‘ideal’ candidate to represent the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) as its next President. The Spanish referee will replace the controversial figure, Luis Rubiales who resigned as President following the ‘Kissgate’ scandal.
According to the Spanish News outlet, Marca, Mateu Lahoz is understood to have the support of some of the biggest clubs in Spain, the refereering body of the country, FIFA, the La Liga, the Higher Sports Council and some territorial presidents. The former referee also shares a close relationship with Pierluigi Collina, Chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee. The backing by these powerful bodies in football has made the man from Valencia a strong candidate for the Presidency role for the RFEF. A position currently held by acting President, Pedro Rocha.
Aside from La Liga games, Mateu Lahoz has also been a match official for several International games – UEFA Euro and World Cup – allowing him to create good relations with several other associations. Lahoz is also said to have clashed with Luis Rubiales in the past which could help the RFEF disassociate further from their ex-President. As of now, Lahoz has not spoken out on his possible candidacy and is, by no means the only other individual being considered as the next President of the RFEF.
Mateu Lahoz retired as a full-time referee last season after officiating the final game of his career between Rayo Vallecano and Mallorca. He received a ‘guard of honour’ by both sets of players and match officials at the final whistle.
Twitter reacts to Mateu Lahoz’s candidacy for President of the RFEF
Refereeing over 500+ games in his career, Mateu Lahoz has remained a controversial figure in football due to his on-field decisions as a match official. His most infamous performance was the World Cup Quarter-final fixture between Argentina and Netherlands where the Spanish referee produced over 15 yellow cards, with two coming during the penalty shoot-outs.
He received criticism from both sets of fans with many complaining about the referee losing control over the game. Argentina’s goalkeeper on the night, Emiliano Martinez labelled the referee ‘crazy’ stating, “The worst referee of the tournament, he is arrogant.” Here are some of the reactions:
Mateu Lahoz remains a favourite in the eyes of the football governing bodies however, the fans have different feelings about the former referee being the president of the RFEF. With many fans mocking the RFEF’s preference for Lahoz, the ex-Spanish Referee does not have the support of the public.
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Gerard Crispin
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