A soccer referee talking to a Barcelona player, with the Real Madrid crest in the background and a yellow graphic with the name Javier Turienzo Álvarez.
Turienzo Álvarez and Messi | Camara Real Madrid Confidencial
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Turienzo Álvarez, the 'friend of Messi' they've stuck Real Madrid with in the CTA

RFEF has appointed Turienzo Álvarez as the new head of Primera División within CTA's organizational structure

by

Alex Moreno

The Technical Committee of Referees has decided to bring back one of the most controversial names in Spanish refereeing: Turienzo Álvarez. The former referee has been appointed new head of Primera División within the CTA's organizational structure, now chaired by Francisco Soto Balirac.

Organizational chart of the Technical Referees Committee for the 2025-2026 season with the spokespersons, technical area, VAR, women's football, futsal, technological innovation, and the different refereeing divisions, along with their names and photographs on a black and yellow background.
CTA's organizational chart | RFEF

The decision hasn't gone unnoticed, especially in Real Madrid's circles. Turienzo is remembered for his controversial performance in the 2006/07 season, when he almost ruined the league comeback of Fabio Capello's team. It was a historic league, the "burning nail" one, in which Madrid had been 11 points behind Barça.

One of the most controversial referees for Madridists returns

That match in Santander was seared into memory. With Madrid leading 1-0 and virtually holding the top spot, Turienzo sent off Helguera and Mejía and awarded two highly questionable penalties to Racing. Garay, who years later would end up at Real Madrid, converted both. The final score was 2-1. Madrid lost, and Barça and Sevilla overtook it in the standings.

Despite that blow, the white team managed to win that league thanks to an epic winning streak in the final stretch and the famous "Tamudazo" at Camp Nou. That refereeing performance was called out by the national press. The newspaper MARCA headlined it bluntly: "Executioner Turienzo." From the Madrid locker room, they even said: "Very strange things are happening."

Front page of Marca newspaper with the headline
Front page of Marca newspaper: "Executioner Turienzo" | Marca

The record with Real Madrid, full of shadows

Turienzo officiated Real Madrid in 27 official matches. The record wasn't good: only a 59% win rate with him, well below the club's historical average. In contrast, with Barça it achieved a 71% win rate. In addition, he was the referee in two humiliating Copa del Rey defeats: the elimination in Toledo in 2000 and the famous 4-0 "Alcorconazo" in 2009.

He never became a FIFA referee, but he did leave a mark. According to him, after the Santander match he received up to 50 phone threats. Now, more than a decade later, he returns in a key position. Many Madridists are already on alert. The memory of Turienzo hasn't faded... the fear of the influence he may have hasn't either.

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