Barcelona media fume as new AI chief for refereeing body is announced

The brand new President of the Referees Committee (CTA) Fran Soto introduced his new board for the refereeing physique on Monday, and unsurprisingly, it was not with out controversy. One of many key figures on the brand new fee is a self-declared Actual Madrid fan.

Los Blancos are one of many sides which were pushing hardest for reform within the CTA, and after Royal Spanish Soccer Federation President Rafael Louzan determined to take away President Luis Medina Cantalejo, Soto was appointed to the function. The media in Barcelona haven’t reacted properly to the appointments, which maintain one thing of a Actual Madrid theme of their view.

New fee introduced for CTA

A part of the restructuring of the CTA – which as an idea did have standard assist from the golf equipment – has included the appointment of a brand new fee to resolve how referees are designated. That can, as per Marca, embody three former referees (Gregorio Bernabe Garcia, Jose Luis Lesma Lopez and Daniel Marcos Alvarez), an elected membership which is Sevilla, a Spanish Participant’s Affiliation (AFE) consultant which can be Alvaro Negredo, and a former coach, but to be chosen by the RFEF.

Negredo, in addition to representing Valencia, Almeria, Sevilla and Cadiz, is a former Actual Madrid participant, whereas as Cadena SER‘s referee correspondent Eduardo Iturralde Gonzalez has famous that the one individual to maintain their job on the board of the CTA is Yolanda Parga. She is in command of the Liga F refereeing, however can also be married to former referee and present Actual Madrid matchday delegate Megia Davila.

Controversial Chema Alonso appointment

Probably the most controversial appointment has been the addition of Chema Alonso, who’s the brand new Chief of Innovation and Know-how and AI. Alonso, 50, was a hacker in his youthful days, however extra not too long ago went into cybersecurity to work for media giants Telefonica.

A lot of social media posts from Alonso have emerged although, making it clear he’s an avid Actual Madrid fan. Phrases similar to ‘I’m a Madridista, Raulista and Ikerista’, ‘The referee is in blue, and Barcelona are in blue and claret, I’ll go away it at that’, and ‘Greater than a membership… A membership and two referees’ Alonso wrote on social media, alluding to Barcelona’s motto.

The blissful one which made me see Raúl elevating that cup. After spending all my childhood with “and what, Actual Madrid once more European champion?” Arrived @raulgonzalez, the Valdano League, the seventh, the intercontinental, the eighth and one other intercontinental. Complete revolution. } 🙂 https://t.co/pzx3dcmxck

– Cry ALONSO (@’seaalonso) December 4, 2020

On prime of Alonso’s phrases, pictures have additionally circulated of him in entrance of Actual Madrid’s trophy cupboard. His function within the fee can be to develop the instruments that AI makes use of to evaluate refereeing performances, after which advocate the best refereeing candidate for every recreation. A factors system can be used to find out which referees can be promoted and relegated in La Liga and Segunda, which can be made public.