The Spanish Super Cup is set to transform how fans experience football, introducing a new level of openness in referee communication. For the first time, the Referee Technical Committee will publish audio conversations between on-field officials and the VAR operator during matches. This will occur only in games where the on-field referee consults the monitor to review a play, and not in other moments.
According to Luis Medina Cantalejo, head of the Referees Technical Committee, the move aims to increase transparency and showcase professionalism among referees. The message was delivered in a video published by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the body responsible for coordinating the refereeing team and organizing the Super Cup competition.
Historically, some referee conversations have been shown after the fact in select moments, but this initiative marks the first time the process will be organized and systematic. The audio will not be broadcast live; instead, it will be compiled and presented at the end of each day with one or more matches on the schedule. As Medina explained, during the Super Cup, if a monitor review occurs, the post-match program will feature the discussion on Movistar, which holds the competition rights.
What will be heard?
The audience will hear the complete review process when a game is assessed on the monitor. The review follows the field decision or the field referee noting a potential handball or foul and then deciding to consult the monitor. The focus is on the sequence of visuals and the dialogue that exists between the VAR official and the on-field referee, according to the chief referee in Riyadh.
The aim is greater transparency to answer a frequent question from fans: what exactly are they discussing, and what decisions are being considered? Nothing will be hidden. Medina Cantalejo stressed that most of the dialogue may come across as routine, but the clarity of the process will be evident to viewers.
The referees who will be scrutinized under this system include those officiating the semi-final between Real Madrid and Atlético on the upcoming Wednesday. The Referees Technical Committee appointed Javier Alberola Rojas as the lead referee for that match, with Eduardo Prieto Iglesias serving as the VAR official. The subsequent match, Barça against Osasuna, will feature Alejandro Muñiz Ruiz and, with assistance from Carlos del Cerro Grande from the VAR room. The initiative aligns with ongoing efforts to modernize officiating and make decisions more comprehensible to spectators across the federation. Source attribution: RFEF.