Medina Cantalejo: “I put my hand in the fire for my colleagues then and now”

Medina Cantalejo, president of the Technical Committee of Referees, is as clear as he is harsh when talking about the ‘Negreira case’ to defend the arbitration group. “Today is a difficult day for us. We have to eat some things that have nothing to do with us. This may be the saddest in the history of arbitration,” he began by saying Medina Cantalejo who revealed how he found out what happened to Negreira. “Leaving a Primera RFEF seminar, we found the information on Wednesday, February 15,” he said, adding that “what we did the next day was summon the whole team online. We explained what was happening and what could be we can communicate more than what the media has contributed. We have delivered a message of calm before the Competition, which does not stop”.

“Unfortunately, there is always someone who prefers selfish, personal and treacherous positions. That same afternoon, what was said to the media was published on WhatsApp. In that meeting we repeated something that, ethically, we all understood the normal operational issues of this house. It is said that since then it is forbidden for anyone not from the arbitration team to join the referees. Many things were discussed that are part of our life, but what information we have received is that we need you to do this. This is something serious enough to give it the proper treatment. We are silent but we have worked to gather information every day, which has been transferred us in the integrity department,” he said.

Message to the leaker

“We have been urged to show our faces. We have sent two statements, but people don’t seem convinced,” he explained, to send a message to the person who leaked the questionnaire sent to the referees. “A colleague leaked the questionnaire that was sent to the referees. The next day, the referees sent the questionnaire. All but one. They called and told what was happening. Until now, no one has responded to the RFEF’s request” , said Medina Cantalejo, adding that “when someone leaks information from a group it is selfish. I will not give a name. That has already happened. There was someone who was asked for information and who He was not not offering.” The CTA president did not want to reveal the arbitrators’ answers to the questionnaire. “Everything is in process. We need to send this data where we need to send it. We cannot spread that information, which is reserved. We will not publish names or anything. We have all the detailed information. Debt We have it in our Integrity department. Above all else is the law,” he said.

Medina Cantalejo He explained that “what is happening concerns us. It has been criminalized. There is a social climate that is anti-referee. Even in pre-Benjamines it was said that they were bought. Spanish football is not honest. It has been done that the damage and we already have a stain on it. The only thing left for us is to work and continue training. We also have to make ourselves available to the entities”, assured the president of the CTA, to warn “that not one is wrong. The ones who have the greatest interest in this clarification are us referees. We even had to read the issues of referees who have died. No one can dirty the job. If someone does a deed that pays.”

“Just talked about a vice president, his son and Barcelona, ​​​​​​​​who should be responsible. We are there to arbitrate. I am the grandson, son and father of the referees and I am not corrupt. . What what happened is a shame that must be cleaned up. We will fight to keep everyone in their place”, declared the president of the CTA”, Medina Cantalejo’s sentence that was applauded for a long time by the referees present after his first speech.

Estrada Fernandez

The name of Estrada Fernandez He was the first to be the sole arbitrator who filed the complaint in the ‘Negreira case’. “It will be a question of the collective and of him. We are going to treat him with the utmost respect. This weekend he was not isolated. He has two AVAR games. As a Catalan referee, he has three teams that he cannot do . arbitrate and in In this situation we have to mesh all the matches so that there is no problem. We did not sideline him. There were moments this year that, for the protection of the referees, they rested. They will be treated. with full that respect, we hope that it will be reciprocated”, said Medina Cantalejo

Father and son

The CTA president talked about the son’s role Enriquez Negreira: “It is clear that the president’s son gave two coaching sessions at the CTA. Since then he has had a relationship with the videos and the national team. The professional staff is not here every day. There are people from throughout Spain. There are times when they use professionals for support. If they estimate that someone who worked in this house is doing well, it is something positive. At this time this person is not a criminal. All the data we have is in the hands of Integrity . A referee has to be strong and has to face difficulties. Let’s not criminalize referees for having those coaching sessions.”

He also defined the role of Enriquez Negreira and the money he received. “Here I don’t have a salary. There are payments for travel and hotels. For years their responsibility was to tell you which group you were in and call the referees to inform them of promotions and relegations. About penalties, I will not go to prosecute. If Penalties are not awarded in Barcelona, ​​it is because it is not in the judgment of a referee. I have been a referee of the First Division for 11 years and in my life there is no member of the CTA called me so that my performance was on one side or the other. It is absolutely beyond any doubt that the integrity of the referees is at the top,” he said.

Barcelona

Medina Cantalejo Barcelona asked him, just in case report should provide further explanation. “They will have to decide. Tonight we have to arbitrate them. The people who will arbitrate them will do it in the best possible way. It will be the Justice that prosecutes. We have given all the information that we have been asked for. We have nothing to hide”, said the CTA president who wanted to explain that arbitration decisions do not influence a League. “The League is very long. There will be errors for and against. In the end, the teams that work well are up and the bad ones, down. The referee has to be strong to know what role he plays and not obtained. brought by the pressures It can happen in a day or a party that a mistake interferes, but not in a League”, said.

hand on fire

Medina Cantalejo He defended the work of the referees and said “I put my hand in the fire for my teammates then and now. There is no doubt. If at any time something comes out, let justice fall. I have nothing to say. with Enríquez Negreira, we also didn’t have much communication while we were with him. We all have a somewhat regular soul”. the CTA ruled that S will also put itanchez Arminio, andHe who became president of referees with Enríquez Negreira as vice president. “Yes, I would put it. He has been the president of many referees. I have talked to him and he is disgusted. It is his responsibility to make this man vice president. We want that there is no doubt. is our cause,” he said, to add that “I have been active for many years. Also in technical direction and in VAR. If anyone suspected that, Sánchez-Arminio immediately put him on the street. We will be bad, good or regular but we will never do that .”

Medina Cantalejo sent a message to fans who doubt the referees saying “I tell the fans that I have been in football all my life. I am also excited when I watch football at home. The media also has a certain responsibility to help . He Agrees that one-sided journalism is in vogue. The fan should be told that if a player wants to do things right, so does the referee. We make mistakes like everyone else. Of course, I’m not going to convince anyone. I don’ Don’t worry about that, I know it’s a losing battle.”

The CTA president believes that in order to improve the image of the arbitration group after the ‘Negreira Case’, “we need to show if the investigation arises and punish the perpetrators. We need to recruit young arbitrators and they are doing it well . Our image depends on everything, It depends on no gulf doing something crazy. They are athletes who dedicate their time and who are professionals. The image of all this has been tarnished, but if the culprits are wiped, it will help a lot,” he concluded.