Spanish arbitration begins a new stage and does so with Francisco Soto Balirac as new president of Referee Technical Committee (CTA). This is a lawyer who relieves Medina Cantalejo as head of Spanish members, ending one of the most complicated stages of national arbitration, in which the loss of reputation at national and international level has been more than evident. This Wednesday, at the headquarters of the Royal Spanish Football Federationin Las Rozas, this new stage has been presented, after the renewal faced to three bands between clubs, Liga and RFEF itself.
This is a lawyer who, despite this, occupies the position of delegate of the College of Referees of Galicia in Vigo. He stressed that the new board of directors will be functional. This new structure will have a technical director and a VAR manager, in addition to responsible for each category (first, second, first RFEF and Second RFEF), as well as women's football, football and beach football.
Soto Balirac He has announced that a commission for unification of criteria will be created. They will enter former coaches, former players and, without vote, but in voice, they will be in the meetings in which the referees will decide how to act. Also, the new president of the CTA has indicated that they will have total independence, although they will not cease to be linked to the RFEF.
New CTA stage
He has released the lines to follow from this new technical committee of referees: «I don't want quotas. Here the best referees will go up and those who deserve it will be in the corresponding category. We want independence. We will be transparent. There will be objectivity, you have to leave secrecy, small kingdoms of taifas. AND There will be unification of criteria. There will be no event A, consequence B, C or D. with A, will pass B».
“I ask for empathy, trust and that we go hand in hand, to see if we are able to make Spanish arbitration the envy of European and world arbitration,” he said. On the arbitral controversies, he pointed out that “they will never disappear” and that they will not “be able to avoid it. «We want to use the tools to minimize the error. That from a technical point of view there is no error, that they are by appreciation of the fan, ”he said.
He has made it clear that the specific body of VAR will continue to integrated by referees and not other actors in the world of football, as former players or former coaches. “We want to professionalize the VAR and those tools have to be used by referees,” he said.
Appointment by artificial intelligence
The form of arbitration designation will also be changed. They will try to incorporate Artificial intelligence to know the best option when appointing the members for the matches. In fact, there will also be, within the directive structure, a person in charge of AI.
«I want to thank the RFEF for trust in me. It is a very relevant challenge that I assume with a lot of responsibility. I want to thank the managers who have abandoned the committee, what they have done must be valued. Passionate about football and arbitration, at the time they raised the opportunity I had no doubts. I think it's my chance. My career can give me certain qualities to apply them in the sports field, ”he said.
“Referees of the best worldwide”
The Spanish arbitration has also valued: «The arbitration team is the best worldwide. I say it with conviction. You have to use the tools and apply them in arbitration. After months of work you have to apply new ideas, it does not mean that the others do not be worth. You have to work, build, start from scratch. What I hope is that in the short term, the figure of a referee is appreciated by all the actors in the world of football. I am closely related to base arbitration ».
Despite being a lawyer by profession, he stressed that he has “that necessary basic arbitration.” «They are new times, new structure. The only name that is me. I can't set up a team as long as I do not appear. A new era begins and soon, I calculate that from here to 15 days I will communicate the team that will help me. We will try to bring arbitration to the highest levels internationally, ”he said Soto Balirac.
In new president of the referees he has been presented by the hand of Rafael Louzán. «I want to greet the CTA workers, they have left me a great impression of their work and loyalty. The time has come, after six months of work in a club commission, in which we have drawn conclusions that are being implemented, today it was time to present the new person responsible for this organization. He will assume the responsibility of presiding over the CTA, ”said the top president of Spanish football.
«It is a new model. It is not a minor challenge. We wish you all the luck that deserves. I have known him for a few years, but he who has assumed this role and has seen his abilities has been the general secretary of the RFEF, ”he said.
