Spanish referee José Luis Munuera Montero suspended indefinitely amid RFEF investigation

Spanish football referee José Luis Munuera Montero has been suspended indefinitely amid an investigation by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).

Montero gave a red card to Bellingham in the first half of Real Madrid’s 1:1 match against Osasuna in LaLiga, with reports suggesting the official believed the midfielder said: “f*** you.” Bellingham insisted that he said “f*** off,” but the 21-year-old could still face a suspension of up to 12 matches for the incident.

However, the experienced official is being scrutinized over alleged links to Talentus Sport, a company reportedly connected to multiple football clubs, including Atlético Madrid, a direct title rival to Real Madrid. The nature of these connections has raised concerns about a possible conflict of interest, prompting the RFEF to take swift action.

The referee could have violated the RFEF’s point 9.1 of the  Regulatory Code that prohibits members of the organization from having secondary interests that could interfere with the fulfillment of their professional obligations. A regulation that was created as a result of Gerard Piqué’s participation in the negotiations between the Spanish Federation and Saudi Arabia to bring the Spanish Super Cup to the Asian country.

The referees have a professional contract that requires them to be exclusively dedicated, but that does not prevent them from having investments or being part of a company.

If found to have a conflict of interest, the official could face a ban of up to five years from officiating. UEFA have already made a decision on the international front. According to reports, UEFA have suspended Montero from officiating until his case is resolved, meaning he will not be refereeing during this period.

If the investigation drags on, Montero may not officiate any Champions League, Europa League, or Conference League matches for the rest of the 2024-25 season.

For now, Montero will remain sidelined as investigations continue, with the RFEF determined to uphold the integrity of Spanish football.

Source: Elvisanokyenews.com