Never before has officiating in Spain been such a consistent part of headlines in Spanish football, despite a history of controversy. Real Madrid have made it their mission to reform the refereeing system, and it is thought that fresh changes are on the way this summer. However the Referees Technical Committee (CTA) have named the best referee in Spain for the 2024/25 season, with fresh promotions on the way.
The CTA evaluated Javier Alberola Rojas best out of all his peers for the current season, with the 34-year-old winning the award eight years after his debut in the first division. Alberola was praised for his control of games, good relations with players, producing an atmosphere of respect and his composure. This was recognised with the Vicente Acevedo award, as recounted by Cadena SER, which has previously been won by the likes of Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea, Antonio Mateu Lahoza and Jose Luis Munuera Montero.
With Pablo Gonzalez Fuertes, Mario Melero Lpoez and Juan Luis Pulido Santana all moving on to become video assistant referees rather than on-field officials, there will also be a fresh influx of promotions from Segunda. Iosu Galech Apezteguia, Jose Luis Guzman Mansilla and Miguel Sesma Espinosa have all been given the green light to move up. Galech was given the same award for his work in Segunda this year.
It is widely believed that changes are on the way in the CTA. President of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) Rafael Louzan is said to be keen on replacing his refereeing counterpart Luis Medina Cantalejo. In recent months, the RFEF have held meetings with elected representative clubs Real Betis and Sevilla, and Real Madrid as an invited guest, to discuss wider changes to the structure of officiating in Spain too.
