Mateu Lahoz Announces a Referee Change for the Copa Final for This Reason

After a highly competitive qualifying round, Real Madrid has reached the Copa del Rey final against FC Barcelona. This match will be played on April 26 at the La Cartuja stadium in Seville, but there are already certain doubts about one of its most important aspects: the referee. The latest rumors from the CTA pointed to César Soto Grado as the referee best positioned to officiate this new Clásico of Spanish soccer in the Andalusian capital.

Antonio Mateu Lahoz acknowledges that "he had been told that he was likely to have that final and that he might be renewed for another year, which hopefully will happen". The former Valencian referee points out that "normally, Copa finals, unless they do some tribute" to referees retiring that season, "go by year... that is, if you achieve international status, after 3-4 years".

This arrangement with Spanish referees was altered in last season's Copa final, because "Munuera Montero replaced de Burgos Bengoetxea for important political reasons". Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea is a Basque referee... like Athletic Club de Bilbao, one of the finalists of the last edition of the Spanish 'K.O. tournament'.

"Before February, before they met in Madrid, it was already leaning toward César Soto Grado", reveals Mateu Lahoz about this referee's candidacy. "But it seems that in some recent meetings he has said things" that wouldn't please Luis Medina Cantalejo, president of the CTA, "and it seems that now he is betting on de Burgos Bengoetxea".

Modification Explained

The possible replacement of César Soto Grado as referee for the Copa del Rey final would not only be due to technical issues. Because Mateu Lahoz points out that "it's possible that Soto himself has been involved in these meetings to promote David Fernández Borbalán and Roberto Alonso Fernández".

The summits revealed by Mateu Lahoz, in which César Soto Grado would have participated, would aim to propose new names for the presidency of the CTA... given the wear suffered by Luis Medina Cantalejo over the past years due to the controversies of the 'Negreira case' and the constant dissatisfaction with decisions made from the VAR.

Mateu Lahoz points out that "the latest rumors" indicate that César Soto Grado would be left without refereeing the Copa del Rey final due to those recommendations to replace Medina Cantalejo. "That's why some media took it for granted that it was going to be Soto Grado, because if you look at the designations, he was there... but now the name of de Burgos Bengoetxea has appeared", a referee who should have officiated last year's final.

The possible change of designated referee for the La Cartuja final between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona is one of the first controversies arising from this Clásico of Spanish soccer. Both teams will closely follow the drama unfolding in the CTA regarding the referee chosen for the clash on April 26, eagerly awaiting its outcome.