In the coming Sunday the last day League in the First Division and means the goodbye among the two most veteran college players in the category. international referees Carlos del Cerro and Mateu Lahoz. The first turned 47 on March 13, the second just a few days before he turned 46.
The man from Madrid was appointed for Real Sociedad – Seville where Valenín Pizarro will be his assistant. This weekend is not the last official fight in the case of Del Cerro, which this past day acted as VAR in the match between Espanyol and Valencia after his appointment to whistle at final of the current Conference League with Fiorentina facing West Ham on June 7 at the Eden Arena Stadium in Prague. Del Cerro leaves after 12 years in the elite of Spanish refereeing, where he arrived in 2011 and refereed a total of 156 games in the First Division.
Del Cerro will join the specific VAR body
His start on September 11, 2011 when he blew the whistle on the clash between Legs and the spanish. International since 2013, its most important moment was the election for the 2020 Euro Cup (debated in 2021 due to the pandemic) where, in addition to whistling two matches (France-Germany and Croatia-Czech Republic), he acted as -four referees in the final between Italy and England. A year before her, FIFA appointed her as the VAR for the final of the Women’s World Cup.
In total, 35 matches have been whistled this season between the League, European competitions and qualifying matches for the national teams. Next season he will be one of two members of the specific VAR body.
The future of Mateu Lahoz is unknown
and then there is Antonio Mateu Lahoz assigned for Mallorca- Rayo Vallecano with Jaime Latre on VAR. He leaves after 15 years in the refereeing elite where he was promoted in 2008 and where he currently has a total of 208 games called in the First Division. His debut started in a Sevilla – Sporting de Gijón on September 13.
In January 2011 he achieved international status where he achieved incredible quotas: two U20 World Cups (2015 and 2017), the Olympic Games (2016), the 2021 Euro Cup where he whistled three group matches stage.
That same year he was appointed to whistle the Champions League final between Manchester City and Tottenham in Porto.
And then there is the chapter of world. On December 8, 2022, on the occasion of the assignment for the late and controversial Netherlands – Argentina quarterfinals of the World Cup in Qatar and their fifth match in a World Cup, he became Spain’s second referee with the most matches in a World Cup Cup. . Two in the 2018 World Cup and the three in 2022. Above Mateu there is only Juan Gardeazábal who attended three World Cups: 1958, 1962 and 1966.
There are three meetings inside Qatar. Along with this quarterfinal duel, the United States – Iran as well as Qatar – Senegal also whistled. A total of eight matches in his arbitration career. Three as a referee (three in Qatar and two in Russia) and three more as a fourth referee in 2018.
His debut in a world It was on June 21, 2018 in the Denmark-Australia match which ended in a draw to one. Five days later, he officiated his second game as the main referee in Russia: Iceland 1 Croatia 2. But Mateu Lahoz’s role did not end there as the Valencian stayed on for three games where he played as the fourth referee. It will also be Croatia-Nigeria in the group stage with Brazil-Mexico in the round of 16 and Sweden-England in the quarterfinals.
now a not known what Mateu will do after this next weekend and whether or not he will continue with VAR functions.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
