Former referee Javier Estrada Fernandez claims ‘hatred of Catalans’ limits top-flight officials

Former La Liga referee Javier Estrada Fernandez has reignited the debate over Catalan representation in Spanish football’s refereeing system, saying what he described as a “hatred of Catalans” was behind the small number of officials from the region reaching the top level.

Estrada Fernandez has regularly attracted headlines since leaving refereeing because of his outspoken criticism of the system and repeated accusations of corruption within the Technical Committee of Referees (CTA).

Speaking on the Catalan podcast La Renaixenca, he said there were “unfortunately, very few Catalan referees in the top flight”.

Asked why that was the case, Estrada Fernandez replied that it was because of “hatred of Catalans”.

He argued that Catalonia has the highest number of federation licences for players, coaches and referees, yet remains one of the least represented regions in the highest levels of refereeing.

“We can count on one hand the referees who reach the top flight or officiate international matches,” he said.

Estrada Fernandez said the imbalance was not a recent development, but a pattern that had continued for many years.

“We have more than 2,000 registered referees, but if we look historically at how many have reached the highest levels, we find that very few have done so,” he added.

The former official also said referees should be judged solely on their ability and performance, rather than their origins or the region they represent.

“The problem we face is that referees should be assessed according to their skills, and never on the basis of the region they come from, but this happens often,” he said.

From refereeing to politics

His latest comments have reopened scrutiny of the Spanish refereeing authorities, which Estrada Fernandez has criticised on a number of occasions.

Since ending his refereeing career, he has moved into politics, describing the change as a new professional direction.

Explaining his decision, he said: “I found the idea interesting when it was put to me, and I thought I could contribute through my experience in sport, especially because the position of councillor is elected and allows the holder to act as a link between citizens and the administration.”

Estrada Fernandez has therefore closed the chapter on refereeing and now considers it part of his past, having begun a new career in political work.