Last Saturday, José Luis Munuera Montero found himself in the media spotlight after issuing a direct red card to Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham for what was seen as dissent during Los Blancos’ 1-1 draw with Osasuna. ..Continue Reading
“I think the referee did not understand Jude Bellingham’s English,” Ancelotti said, as per Fabrizio Romano. “He said f*ck off, not f*ck you… that’s way different. I won’t talk more about the referee as I want to be on the bench next week.”
Yesterday, Marca reported that 21-year-old Bellingham received a two-match ban, ruling him out of La Liga fixtures against Girona and Real Betis.
However, this wasn’t the only reason for the attention on Montero, 41.
The RFEF initiated an investigation into alleged ‘conflict of interests’ involving a sports consultancy and management company with clients such as La Liga, UEFA, RFEF, and clubs like Atletico Madrid, Manchester City, and Paris Saint-Germain.
According to AP, the investigation centered on a company called Talentus Sports Speakers, described as a “company which Munuera participates in that offers motivational talks by sports figures.”
Montero denied the allegations through a statement posted on his Instagram.
“In recent months the excessive attack on the refereeing collective has been evidenced, on this last occasion with me being the protagonist,” read a statement posted to his Instagram page.
“The company Talentus Sports Speakers, a company owned by the referee José Luis Munuera, has not invoiced any amount to any sports entity since its creation, whether clubs, federations or companies in the sports industry.
“This company, which began its activity less than a year ago, aims to enable different athletes to transfer the transversal values of sport to different organisations, through the narration of their personal experiences, as shown on its website.”
He also faced online abuse and eventually addressed it publicly.
The RFEF has now concluded their investigation, with AS reporting that he has been “cleared of any wrongdoing and will be able to referee again once the Technical Committee of Referees (CTA) deems it appropriate.”
The report also indicates that all 20 first-division referees will be reminded of their duty to adhere to the requirements of their contracts. According to AS, the referee will be reinstated to officiate in both league and European competitions.
