In Spain, most football fans stick with either Real Madrid or FC Barcelona. But what about the referees? An ex-referee clears up
There has always been one big question in Spanish football: FC Barcelona or Real Madrid?
Former referee Eduardo Iturralde Gonzalez believes that there is a clear tendency among the top referees in Spain in this respect.
“90 percent are Real Madrid fans”
“About 90 percent are Real fans and only 10 percent stick with Barcelona,” said the referee, who resigned in 2012 and has led over 300 games in his career.
Gonzalez believes that outside of Catalonia, around 70 per cent support the royals: “In Spain, the majority stick with Real Madrid or Barcelona because they are the teams that win. There are more Barca fans today because they have seen the victories under Pep Guardiola. But before the era of Lionel Messi, how many supported Real in Spain? At least 70 percent.
Gonzalez himself was born in Bilbao and is a fan of the local club Athletic Bilbao. He makes it clear, however, that the referees’ sympathies must not affect the management of the games.
“Everyone knows that I’m an athletic fan. But I would always whistle something against them to be fair.”