Spanish referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz now has a global reputation for his unique method of refereeing, something that was once again on show during Barcelona’s 0-0 draw with Girona on Monday night.
His handling of the World Cup quarter-final between the Netherlands and Argentina came in for heavy criticism in December, not least from Lionel Messi. It made his strong personality, previously famous in Spain, known to the rest of the world.
In Spain at least, he has a reputation for letting fouls go somewhat, but likes to be in constant dialogue with both teams and managers.
At Camp Nou on Monday night, DAZN Espana have captured footage of Mateu Lahoz pausing in the middle of the game to ask Robert Lewandowski about his life off the pitch.
“How is it going in Barcelona?” Lahoz asks, but Lewandowski does not hear him. “In Barcelona?” he asks again, when Lewandowski shrugs, but his answer cannot be seen.
Mateu Lahoz tiene tiempo para todo 😄 Mientras el VAR revisa un gol anulado a Araujo…
… él se preocupa por el bueno de Robert Lewandowski 💭 "¿Cómo te va en Barcelona?" 😌
Ante todo, amabilidad 👌 ¡Disfruta de esto y mucho más en #Super8 con @SQuirante! ¡Ya en DAZN! pic.twitter.com/zSsHFtfPwc
— DAZN España (@DAZN_ES) April 11, 2023
Lahoz was previously praised by many for his ability to explain his decisions, but more recently has drawn criticism for his lack of tolerance for managers and players asking for explanations.
