By Mark Baber
October 23 – Dark hints that forces behind the scenes will ensure Real Madrid win this season’s La Liga were given a considerable boost on Thursday as a referee’s assistant, who wishes to remain anonymous, claimed he had been pressurised to favour Los Blancos if he was picked to officiate in the forthcoming El Clasico.
Through a dedicated sports lawyer, Jacinto Vicente Hernandez, the referee’s assistant has filed a complaint with anti-corruption prosecutors saying that he was approached by a match referee in mid-September to favour Real Madrid in the match against Barcelona on November 21.
The referee is alleged to have said he was under pressure “directly from someone inside” to favour Real Madrid. The referee suggested that it would be easier if controversial decisions were made by the assistant as it would attract less attention and as the referee had himself already been involved in making a number of controversial decisions of this nature this season.
Following this interaction, the whistleblower alleges he received a phone call from Jose Angel Jimenez Munoz de Morales, a senior member of the referees’ committee, advising him it would be “intelligent” to follow the instructions for the sake of his career.
Munoz de Morales denied the accusations on Wednesday night saying: “I have no idea where they come from. It is like something out of a Kafka novel.”
The match officials for El Clasico have not yet been chosen, but clearly if the allegations are true then it would appear the referee’s committee and the system for choosing referees have been severely compromised.
Whilst Real Madrid refused to comment, Barcelona vice-president Susana Monje said: “I hope it does not prove to be true.”
This latest storm is a stark reminder of Spain’s sordid past when dictator General Franco favoured Real Madrid and a visitor to the Barcelona dressing room, before the 1943 El Clasico kick-off, reminded the players of the regime’s generosity in forgiving their lack of patriotism during the civil war – a visit which persuaded the Barca players to throw the game 11-1.
It is worth noting that Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone hinted earlier this season that “the league is dangerously prepared for Real Madrid. Madrid cannot go seven years with only winning one league. This year I think that sadly it is difficult to see another team winning it.”
Whether there is any substance to the allegations remains to be seen, but the furore may bring more transparency to the currently opaque system of promoting officials and a change back to the previous randomised system of choosing referees for particular matches, as the officials are possibly now the weak link in a system where players are now sufficiently empowered and paid well enough to resist most threats and inducements to matchfixing.
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