The Technical Referees Committee of the Spanish Football Federation, headed by Fran Soto, is moving towards implementing a policy of reward and punishment firmly on international referees, as part of the merit-based approach adopted by the new refereeing management.

The Spanish newspaper 'Mundo Deportivo' reported that the veteran international referee Jesus Gil Manzano has become the leading candidate to enter the 'cooler' — a mandatory rest period — following his performance in the match between Barcelona and Real Sociedad in the Spanish league.

According to the newspaper, this direction comes after the precedent of punishing referee Munuera Montero at the start of the season, reflecting the Referees Committee's commitment to applying the principle of merit, where any referee not delivering the required level is sidelined, regardless of their status or international ranking.

The newspaper clarified that the controversy was not related to semi-automatic offside decisions, as they do not fall within the direct responsibility of the referee, but due to errors in field engagement decisions, which required video technology intervention and sparked the anger of Barcelona players.

According to the same source, Gil Manzano may miss officiating the twenty-second round of La Liga matches as a technical penalty and not as part of the usual rotation policy.

Nevertheless, the Spanish referee remains among the elite referees in the UEFA ranking, alongside Sanchez Martinez and Hernandez Hernandez, with expectations of his return in the twenty-third round of the league, or during the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey.

This step reflects the Referees Committee's desire to enhance the accuracy of field decisions and reduce excessive reliance on video technology, ensuring fair competition on the field.