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In a surprising discovery, Luis Medina Cantalejo, president of the Technical Committee of Referees (CTA), has found himself embroiled in a crisis involving suspicions of VAR manipulation aimed at damaging Real Madrid’s interests.
Along with him, officials Carlos Clos Gómez and Santiago Jaime Latre have been implicated, raising serious questions about the integrity of refereeing in Spanish football.
A complaint obtained by El Debate has revealed the presence of a secret “operations room” within the CTA that operates concurrently with the VAR room. Allegations suggest that VAR personnel are receiving directions that depart from established norms, particularly during Real Madrid matches.
According to the lawsuit, specific frames are being chosen with the goal to disadvantage Real Madrid, regardless of the match officials assigned.
The name of a “Chief Operating Officer” in this operations room remains unknown, despite the fact that he allegedly communicated with VAR officials and CTA head Carlos Clos Gómez without leaving any recorded record of these interactions.
Furthermore, the complaint alleges that both Clos Gómez and Medina Cantalejo approved the installation of this operations room, which allows for real-time manipulation of match officials for possibly immoral motives.
Another worrisome component of the complaint is the alleged modification, suppression, and concealing of VAR pictures to benefit specific interests.
Evidence reveals a regular pattern of selectively picked frames and deliberate image suppression, which could help to clarify disputed decisions.
Particularly concerning is the alleged hiding of player aggressions, mainly against Real Madrid players, despite the presence of various camera viewpoints. Such actions raise severe concerns about the impartiality and openness of officiating, with charges pointing to bias against specific clubs.
The controversy involves multiple referees, including those involved in the Negreira case, which is being probed by magistrate Joaquín Aguirre from the Court of Instruction number 1 in Barcelona.
For example, referee Jaime Latre reportedly told Civil Guard agents that several colleagues paid Negreira’s son for coaching services without formal contracts or invoices. Similarly, referee David Medié is under investigation for bribes given to Negreira’s son, further hurting the reputation of Spanish football referees.
As investigations continue, these damaging claims raise doubt on the legitimacy of officiating in Spanish football, with Real Madrid embroiled in a controversial controversy.
