Spanish refereeing authorities have announced that LaLiga referees will appear on television to explain and analyse their decisions, starting with the eleventh round. The change was made possible by an agreement involving LaLiga, the Royal Spanish Football Federation and the Spanish referees' union, AESAF.
How the appearances will work
Cadena SER reported that the decision will roll out gradually. The radio station said referees will speak after two matches in each round, with the fixtures carefully selected by the referees' technical committee.
Second division included
Second-division referees are also part of the initiative, committing to media interviews before and after selected matches. At the start of the current season, referees gave their first quick interviews on broadcasting channels before kick-off.
Money and conditions
LaLiga has set aside 500,000 euros as a total audiovisual reward for the referees. It attached two conditions to releasing the money: a genuine contribution to the marketing and media value of Spanish football content, and protecting the prestige of refereeing and improving its image with the public after years of controversy and accusations.
Other disclosure measures
Spanish football will now disclose the names of VAR room officials in advance, has launched a weekly programme called Review Time to analyse contentious cases, and will publicly admit refereeing errors when they are proven.
