Fran Sotopresident of CTA (Technical Committee of Referees)defended the use of VAR and analyzed the latest arbitration controversies in the program ‘Radioestadio Noche’ by Onda Cero.
I left the Vallecas box because I saw that tempers were running high and there was more to lose than gain by being there… in the box no one said anything to me and I have an excellent relationship with Martín Presa
“VAR is a great tool; the VAR’s success rate is 92%. But it is true that when there is a VAR error the repercussion is very relevant,” he highlighted.
I don’t watch Real Madrid Television, they don’t send me videos either, I think there are fewer videos this year
The president of the CTA stressed that “when a VAR error occurs, the first one that hurts is me; we work to reduce that 8% of errors.”
I was surprised that Sánchez Martínez was left out of the World Cup
“This year the VAR has intervened 21% less than last year” and “VAR referees must be trained because they have not been using the tool for 15 years,” he noted.
In his talk on Onda Cero he acknowledged that “I was surprised that Sánchez Martínez was left out of the World Cup” and defended that “Review Time, although it exposes us and is risky, is a good thing”.
Fran Soto: “It was a mistake to appoint Alberola Rojas in that Madrid vs Girona, next year it won’t happen to me”
Fran Soto wanted to comment on the appointment of referee Javier Alberola Rojas for the match in which Real Madrid and Girona ended up drawing 1-1 with referee controversy.
The CTA corrects Alberola Rojas in the penalty on Mbappé… with an asterisk
He CTA corrected (with asterisks) Alberola Rojas in the penalty on Mbappé and since Real Madrid Television they even said that “Alberola Rojas is not ashamed, he is watching the footballer bleed…”.
Harsh criticism from RMTV: “That guy in gray is supposed to be the referee, Alberola Rojas has no shame”
“It was a mistake to appoint Alberola Rojas in that Madrid vs Girona, just before the Cup final. Next year it won’t happen to me,” he acknowledged.
The president of the CTA said that “I had no doubt in maintaining the appointment of Alberola Rojas for the Cup final.”
“I don’t watch Real Madrid Television, they don’t send me videos either, I think there are fewer videos this year,” commented Fran Soto.
“The relationship with Real Madrid is very cordial, respectful, as it should be,” he clarified.
Fran Soto: “The VAR intervention in Vallecas was not correct. I recognize that in that case there was an error”
Fran Soto spoke about the arbitration controversy that occurred in Vallecas in the match that Rayo Vallecano and Real Sociedad ended up drawing 3-3.
I don’t call it a refrigerator, but there may be a rest for Pulido Santana
“The VAR intervention in Vallecas was not correct” and “I don’t call it a refrigerator, but there may be a rest for Pulido Santana, the technical commission decides,” acknowledges the president of the CTA.
“I left the Vallecas box because I saw that tempers were running high and there was more to lose than gain by being there… in the box no one said anything to me and I have an excellent relationship with Martín Presa,” he clarified.
Fran Soto shared that “I agree with Íñigo Pérez (Rayo Vallecano coach). If we are watching a play on the VAR for more than five minutes, it is not a clear and obvious error. I recognize that in that case there was an error.”
Fran Soto: “I have nothing to do with Negreira”
“I have nothing to do with Negreira, I hoped that would be a positive point to put aside the media pressure of this issue.”
The main victims of Negreira are the referees
“The main victims of Negreira are the referees.”
“The designation of the referees is made by Goyo Manzano, Teixeira and I; I make a first proposal based on a classification.”
Fran Soto, on Radioestadio Noche de Onda Cero: “It was a mistake to appoint Alberola for Madrid vs Girona”
“Each referee on each day has three reports with scores based on previously established criteria.”
“Of course many of the referees have had a relationship with Negreira because he was vice president for a long time…but I hoped that with my figure, which I have nothing to do with, the pressure would go down. It is a judicialized issue, I trust in justice”
“My priority is that transparency and clarity are maximum.”
“I think I have earned the trust of the referees; but if the management is good but there is a mistake on the field…”
Fran Soto: “I didn’t expect so much tension, so much tension…”
“No one around me understood why I accepted this new position and left my previous job.”
Fran Soto, on Radioestadio Noche de Onda Cero: “It was a mistake to appoint Alberola for Madrid vs Girona”
“There has never been a manager figure in refereeing, a figure like mine, I think I can contribute a lot to refereeing, it is something that excites me, a challenge and that is why I accepted, even though it is difficult to understand.”
This is how the CTA’s relations with the clubs are: “If we have to recognize mistakes, we recognize them”
“At the CTA we are receiving a large number of clubs to explain to them what they ask for and if we have to recognize errors, we recognize them.”
“Everyone defends their own thing, we take the statements from clubs with complaints naturally.”
“I want the arbitration to be as transparent and understandable as possible, we are open to any proposal.”