President of the Referees’ Association in Spain Sanchez Armino has appealed to La Liga’s Coaches to follow the rules and respect the referee.
A developing issue this season has been the regular dismissal of Coaches from their technical area for protesting decisions during games.
After Week 10 the number of tacticians to have been sent from the dugout is already approaching double figures and after Mauricio Pellegrino became the latest to be sent from his technical area, is now already at a number greater than the whole of last season.
La Liga’s Coaches last week pleaded with the referees to exercise a more relaxed manner in dealing with touchline protests, but the refs’ President Armino has turned the argument around.
“They are always looking for an apology from us. They hide behind the referee when all they want or try for is the to do their best for the good of football,” Armino told El Confidencial this week.
“The referee has before him the rules of the game to enforce. Some of them are not liked, but they come from FIFA and we must apply them. What is happening is solvable, if they [the Coaches] want it, of course.
“To solve it they have to behave like a sporting person must do. This does not mean that in a precise moment they can leave the bench and make a gesture.
“The problem is that it has become routine and for them all – the substitutes, the doctors, the assistant Coaches… It’s not good for football and we have to curb the stress and respect the rules.”
“Coaches have to realise that they are not the only ones working, there are many people,” continued Armino.
“They have to realise that they must have respect at all levels. I am sure you have never seen a referee disrespecting a Coach or a player. We only ask that they adhere to the rules. Sometimes I get the feeling that they do not receive the latest news updates on new regulations.
“Would the Coaches strike? Don’t make me laugh. What we must do is respect the referee and have more calm from everyone on the bench. They should lead by example and not be the first to protest everything. We will not change, we will continue to implement the regulation.”
Armino was also asked of the turnaround in attitude towards referees in England.
“Before, the referees in the Premier League were respected. Now, everything has changed because players have arrived from South America and other places where they protest, so they seek to deceive and the referees are suffering, they are not prepared for it.
“The Spanish referees wanted to go the UK to learn from them. For me, the best referee is Mark Clattenburg, who has had the problem in the Chelsea-Manchester United game.”
