The Spanish Football Association announced the appointment of Francisco Soto Balrak as the new president of the judges committee to change Luis Medina Cantalo to lead the integrated stage of reform in the arbitration system, starting from the next season. Soto, a well -known lawyer and partner in the famous office of Garigis and previously worked mainly arbitration, emphasized during his official presentation the need to restore the relationship between judges and a spherical environment on the basis of trust, development and clarity.
Soto said in his speech: I leave behind a successful professional path in the law, but my passion for football and arbitration made me not hesitate to accept this challenge. We have arbitration staff at the highest global level, and we must start from scratch and give this system the respect and assessment that it deserves. “
The SOTO plan includes the use of artificial intelligence tools to evaluate and appoint judges, in order to increase objectivity and reduce contradictions, in addition to attracting former trainers and players in establishing standards for using video technology (VAR), at the same time confirming that this technology should remain in the hands of professional judges in order to ensure consistency and standardization of standards.
Soto refused to delve into dialectical cases, such as the Nigra case, saying: “I do not know him, and I have not met him before. In the past there is no use, we are going to open a new page with a completely new team that has nothing to do with the above. ” He also emphasized the need to stay away from the escalation regarding tension with Real Madrid and video, which the club publishes weekly against the decisions of judges in which the sports court is currently being investigated.
In the relationship of clubs, Soto said: we are not here to satisfy clubs, but rather to create an objective and open arbitration. I understand criticism, and we will listen to everyone, but it is necessary to accept a modern and developed approach.
The new president announced his intention to publish the assessment of judges at the end of each season and clarified the mechanism of promotion and landing. He also expressed his refusal to cancel the regional destination for rulers, given that it should be laid before making radical decisions in this regard.
The problems facing many SOTO are especially soothing the charged atmosphere with some large clubs, led by Real Madrid, in addition to the transformation of the Committee of Judges into a more independent and transparent organ. He also faces growing demand from the clubs to combine the criteria for using video technologies, especially in gray and conflicting cases.
For his part, Spain President Rafael Lausanne expressed full confidence in Soto and said: “He made a difficult decision to leave his stable career, but he believes in his project. We need people like him at this stage. ”
It is assumed that the upcoming period will be decisive in the restructuring of the Spanish arbitration, against the background of great hopes that Soto will restore the consideration of the Spanish rulers in the local and European language and leads the real phase of development, which restores confidence in the entire system.
