La Liga referees to give post-match TV interviews from the 31 October weekend

A first for Spanish football

La Liga and the Comité Técnico de Árbitros (CTA) have agreed that referees will answer questions from broadcasters after matches, on top of the pre-match interviews they already give. According to L'Equipe, the measure will cover two games per matchday, with one interview for each rights holder, DAZN and Movistar+. The CTA president, Fran Soto, is the driving force behind the change, which the articles describe as a long-requested step to improve communication with supporters and bring more transparency to refereeing work. Referees had already been giving pre-match interviews to rights-holding broadcasters, so the new step adds a post-match slot to an existing practice.

First test matches

Reports name Levante against Atlético de Madrid and Athletic Club against Real Sociedad as the first two test games. The Levante match at the Ciutat de València is expected to finish around 15:50, when its referee is due to face reporters. DAZN lists the Basque derby at San Mamés for Sunday, 1 November, at 21:00, and Pablo Pinto said on DAZN that the referee of that match would speak to a journalist pitch-side after the final whistle. Early on, the sessions are to take place in the flash zones on the pitch itself, and the plan is to extend them to the other games of each matchday if they succeed. LaSexta reports that at least two referees will be interviewed in the opening weekend.

Budget and the wider debate

A budget of 500,000 euros has been set aside to pay the referees who take part in the broadcaster interviews. DAZN puts the sum at half a million euros, to be shared among the referees as a group. The measure arrives while the so-called Negreira case remains in public discussion without a firm conclusion. The biggest clubs keep trading barbs over refereeing decisions said to favour one side or the other. Referees had also appeared at press conferences before the Copa del Rey and Supercopa de España finals in earlier years, so the post-match slot builds on an older habit.

Rollout and what comes next

From the 11th matchday of Primera División, referees will be interviewed after matches, with at least two of them doing so in the opening weekend. The articles expect the number of referees taking part to rise with each matchday. The CTA plans to widen the trial gradually, depending on how it is received. The illustration in one report shows Juan Martínez Munuera, referee of the most recent Clásico, speaking to DAZN microphones before that match at the Spotify Camp Nou. The Basque derby on Sunday, 1 November, is the first fixture where a referee is expected to speak after the final whistle, according to DAZN.