The CTA makes a move after the grotesque performance of Muñiz Ruiz and Iglesias Villanueva

The controversial and questioned refereeing by Muñiz Ruiz and Iglesias Villanueva in the match between Espanyol and Real Madrid already has its most direct consequences for both referees. The referee appointments for the Copa del Rey quarter-finals, matches to be played in the next three days, have left both out after a change of opinion.

The information published by "Relevo" regarding these appointments officially announced by the CTA reveals that they were the chosen ones to officiate the "Atlético-Getafe Copa match this Tuesday". That future, due to their performance at the RCDE Stadium, has completely fallen through: "in the last few hours, it was decided to send them to the fridge".

This decision made by the CTA in record time, amid the criticisms from many sectors of the active and retired refereeing establishment, leaves this pair of referees without a match. The meeting between Medina Cantalejo, Daudén Ibáñez, and Puentes Leira, the top officials governing Spanish referees, has delivered an unequivocal verdict. Muñiz Ruiz and Iglesias Villanueva will stay in the fridge as "time for reflection" for their gross errors in the Espanyol-Real Madrid LaLiga match.

It is not the first time that Muñiz Ruiz  is the focus of criticism from referees in our country. Even Medina Cantalejo himself criticized the "expulsion of a coach that only God could see" when the referee  sent off Hansi Flick from the FC Barcelona-Real Betis match. Remembering that "you need to have a little flexibility when these things happen", the CTA president didn't hesitate to point out his referee in an audio published by "Jijantes".

Swift decision

Besides putting the referees responsible for the Espanyol-Real Madrid match in the fridge, the appointments for the quarter-finals against Leganés are not well-received in the Valdebebas offices. Because the CTA has chosen Javier Alberola Rojas as the field referee, a referee who has also been involved in quite controversial match directions in recent seasons.

However, from the white entity, they continue to insist on the same message: it is necessary to regenerate the refereeing establishment definitively. The words of Florentino Pérez, president of Real Madrid, to Rafael Louzán, the new president of RFEF, are a reflection of the reality of Spanish football.

The eruption of the "Negreira case" has completely changed the perception of the refereeing establishment by the white fans. Even Real Madrid has decided, for a little less than two years, to carry out a denunciation effort showing the errors committed against the white club by the referees.

The controversial relationship between Real Madrid and the governing entities of national football is experiencing a new chapter due to this "fridge" for Muñiz Ruiz and Iglesias Villanueva. Everything suggests that it will remain entrenched because finding a middle ground seems, at least today, an impossibility.