Medina Cantalejo: “We have to go back to the origins and take our foot off the VAR accelerator”

Luis Medina Cantalejo has been introduced as the new head of the Spanish referees. On December 1, he replaced Carlos Velasco Carballo as president of the Technical Referees Committee after leaving his position to join the ranks of UEFA. The president of the RFEF, Luis Rubiales, accompanied him. Medina proposes substantial changes in his union for the next few seasons.

Luis Rubiales, president of the Federation, was in charge of welcoming the new referee chief: “You have all my support and affection. It is a benchmark in Spanish arbitration. He is respected by his teammates, footballers and even the fans. He is the son and grandson of referees. This is a new stage that, if possible, we hope to improve further and be closer. Keep evolving. “And he added:” Luis, you will always have me at your entire disposal and with full autonomy. Today there is a person I admire. “Medina Cantalejo thanked him for the words:” I didn’t really understand how someone could be a soccer referee, but then I understood this tradition. When Luis called me, he gave me the responsibility of directing the Spanish arbitration. For two weeks we have been working at full capacity. Those who are here are people I trust. It is a new stage. Now we are going to try to increase the level. “

The new chief referee applauded the level of his team: “Generationally we have the best group of referees I have ever met. I arrived in the glorious stage of Díaz Vega or López Nieto, but as a group this is the best. Now we have to know what we are going to do and why. Every week we do internal self-criticism. I do not like the leading role and I do like the discretion. The essence of VAR must be recovered. In the street there is that impression of improvement. It is difficult to see what level of intervention to give the VAR. We have been turning VAR into a better stone. We must return to our origins, there are contacts and trips that are not enough to whistle the maximum penalty. Serious foul play actions are out of the question. The problem is within the areas. It’s time to take your foot off the gas. When there is a VAR intervention that is for something serious. The referees are not here to be protagonists, but to give the best service to the teams “. And he added: “We want to give prominence to former players and coaches. Not to be in the VOR, you can’t. Their opinion is positive. Not for this season, but for the next. We are not in possession of the absolute truth. We have to cultivate the quarry to support the referees of the future “. “We are going to give a boost to women’s refereeing. We are going to put Marisa Villa at 100% all the time so that women’s football advances. I will be here as long as they want, but it would be nice if when I leave there would be a female referee in the First Division “.

Press conference

Transparency: “Five years ago it was unthinkable that we would have conversations with the press. We do not want to break this system and we do not want there to be a closure with the media. Give us time. We want to have a good relationship, but ethically we are not going to talk about specific plays. We, the CTA team, talk about it with our referees. Making the VOR conversations public is prohibited by protocol and from the RFEF we are not going to violate that principle. “

WHERE: “The work that is being done is exceptional. We analyze everything and tell the referee what it should have been. You have to lift a little. You have to avoid penalties. At the risk that we eat a penalty. We assume it, we want to give more soccer and common sense.

Criterion: “There will not be a sports philosophical break in the middle of the season. That message of no to minimum penalties had already been said and I will continue to say it. There may be actions that take place, but we will tell the referee next week that that is not. “

Goal technology: “We are open to it being implanted in the domestic competition if the clubs want to. They are the ones who provide the necessary financial resources. Nobody questions that the clock is working or the offside line is well drawn. In the debate on the honorability of the referees, whoever disrespects the referees misses me. I am absolutely sure that we will say yes. “

More football: “The VAR is the referee’s support and help. But for tremendous cases. Penalties, offside, disciplinary actions and game management are the four legs of refereeing. Talent comes naturally to the referee. In the gray, the concept the referee has to go forward. “

Knowledge of the rules: “I am concerned that some players or coaches do not know the rules. At the beginning of the season they were informed. We apply the rules, we do not legislate. Something I would add is the consequence of that hand. There are times when the player jumps, but the ball was going out of bounds. Judging those consequences would make football more fair. I don’t see players who reach out to stop the ball. There is a gray that confuses by the wording of the hands. We want to give the best service to the players. teams. I’m interested in all issues being clear. “

Specialize the VAR: “I think we have to give the VAR body a spin. We have to listen to the referees. There is a First team that can be used better, now there is only a specific VAR body and the internationals. We have to see what It would be the best. It will not be now in the middle of the season. We want to recover the philosophy. “

Deal with the players: “I was not the friendliest in the world on the field. They did not pay me for that either. I understand that a referee cannot be a friend of the player. Cordiality, closeness and respect yes. I am very demanding with respect. A referee is a judge and You can’t be disrespectful either. I don’t think friendship is possible. While you’re in the field, you don’t have friends. “