Luis Medina Cantalejo (Seville, March 1, 1964), has been dismissed this Thursday as president of the Technical Referees Committee After four years in office. The former Andalusian referee was appointed in December 2021 as a substitute for Velasco Carballo. Since then he has had to deal with serious crises, such as the Negreira case. As president of CTA, Cantalejo came out at a press conference to give explanations of why the vice president of the referees, but without saying anything.
During his stage at the head of the CTA, Medina Cantalejo The greatest scandal in the history of Spanish football has been covered to the fullest, in which Barcelona paid 8.4 million euros to the second of the CTA, Enríquez Negreirafor 17 years (2001-2018). In his first appearance, the then president of the arbitration estate explained nothing or clarified doubts about the Negreira case.
«Since this case jumped to public light, the surprise was tremendous. We put in the hands of the Prosecutor's Office All information and more. We have to respect the car of Judge Aguirre. But I don't share it. Talking about signs … what we want is that the sooner it is resolved. Who has done it, to pay it, ”said the former president of the CTA in an appearance on the Negreira case in November 2023.
In addition, when the news jumped that some referees They were related to him son of Negreirapaying him for courses, meeting with him before the Barcelona matches, holding conversations in hotels and on the way to the stadium, the head of the CTA He did not take action on the matter. That generated a lot of controversy, since some of these members continue active and whistling in the First Division.
Sánchez Arminio's protected
The former president of the CTA began to arbitrate in the highest category of Spanish football in 1988, where he was until he retired in 2009, arbitrating a total of 155 games. After hanging the whistle, Medina Cantalejo began to be part of the Technical Committee of Refereesdirected at that time by Victoria Sánchez Arminio (President) and José María Enriquez Negreira as vice president.
At that time, Barcelona already had the number two of the referees on payroll. The former Andalusian referee was like attached to the technical director For several years. In fact, it is said that Medina Cantalejo was the 'protected' of Sánchez ArminioPresident of the CTA during the time of Negreira. The Sevillian has always defended his mentor, despite having the stain in his curriculum of being part of the most controversial era of arbitration.
In 2019, The former president of the CTA until Thursday, was appointed president of the CTA of Andalusia. Two years later, in December 2021, Medina Cantalejo became the head of the arbitration estate in Spain when it happened to Velasco Carballos. Since then, the controversy has surrounded the head of the referees who has ended up falling in the Negreira case. Rafael Louzán, president of the RFEF, wants to make a restructuring in the CTA and that is why he has dismissed the entire Negreira dome.
