18 October 2023 , 07:57
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The referee who infamously lost control of Argentina's World Cup quarter-final win over the Netherlands is one of the favourites to take over as president of the Spanish FA.
Antonio Mateu Lahoz retired in June, but is now being lined up to replace Luis Rubiales as chief of Spanish football. Lahoz handed out 18 yellow cards and one red in the so-called 'Battle of Lusail' last December, a World Cup record for cards shown.
He was sent home from the tournament following that game, going on to retire from refereeing in June. Lahoz could make a quick return to football though, with the Spanish FA looking for a new figurehead after Rubiales' departure over his 'kiss' on Jenni Hermoso.
According to Marca, Lahoz has emerged as a candidate with 'great strength', as the 'de facto powers' of Spanish football converge on his name. The former referee is said to have the 'implicit' support of the most important figures.
That includes La Liga clubs, match officials, FIFA, the Council Superior of Sports and some territorial presidents. He has a close relationship with Pierluigi Collina, who is the widely respected chief of referees for FIFA.
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This amount of support makes him the 'great favourite' to take over as president. Also standing him in good stead is his fractious relationship with Rubiales and in this context, he would be a welcome break from the previous regime.
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Lionel Messi was one of the 17 players booked by Antonio Mateu Lahoz in the Battle of Lusail (ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images)Lahoz's experience, his background in the world of football, his knowledge of the federation and the groundswell of support around him have put him in a 'privileged starting position' ahead of the election process.
The electors are 'longing' for stability, though Lahoz has not yet commented on his candidacy. Not everyone will be happy to see Lahoz become the favourite to take over as Spanish FA president though.
Argentina captain Lionel Messi slammed the former referee following his side's win over the Netherlands. Messi had been one of the players booked as his side won the game in a penalty shootout in their run to lifting the World Cup.
And afterwards, the superstar insisted that Lahoz was not up to the task of officiating such a big match. He told TyC Sports: “It’s very frustrating, very frustrating. (The match) didn’t have to end that way.
“I do not want to talk about the referee because you’ll be punished. You cannot be honest. You can’t say what you’re thinking. If you do, they’ll sanction you for a match. But I believe the people saw what happened.
“We were scared before the game because we knew what this was. I think FIFA must think about it, they cannot put a referee like that for these important games, for such a pivotal game, a referee who isn’t up to the task.”