Ignacio Iglesias Villanueva is a well-known football referee who has been fired in the aftermath of the Vinicius Jr scandal
Find out more about his background, career, and much more.
After claims that Valencia fans made racist remarks towards Vinicius Jr. of Real Madrid during a La Liga game on May 21, the Technical Committee of Referees and the Royal Spanish Football Federation fired six VAR referees.
Who is Ignacio Iglesias Villanueva VAR referee suspended after failing to show Vinicius Jr being choked vs Valencia
❌️ L’arbitre, Ignacio Iglesias Villanueva a été licencié pour faute professionnelle durant le match du Real Madrid à Valence.
il n'arbitrera plus en Liga suite à sa mauvaise gestion du match à la VAR.—- @tjcope pic.twitter.com/PggCHHXv7I
— Real French Madrid (@RMFrench_) May 23, 2023
❌️ Ignacio Iglesias Villanueva has been fired and he will no longer referee in La Liga after his serious mistake in Valencia-Real Madrid (he was at VAR). @tjcope pic.twitter.com/6iYZDf5O5f
— Madrid Xtra (@MadridXtra) May 23, 2023
Vinicius got into a fight with Valencia fans during the match at Mestalla Stadium after they reportedly shouted racist slurs at the Brazilian striker. After Vinicius was given a straight red card for fighting Valencia attacker Hugo Duro in the closing seconds of the game, the situation worsened.
Once the event was reviewed, six VAR officials in La Liga were fired. According to a Marca report, the decision to fire the officials was taken as a result of VAR head Ignacio Iglesias Villanueva giving De Burgos Bengoechea, the on-field referee, incomplete photos.
Because just Vinicius’ strike to Duro’s face was shown, missing the context of the full incident, the Royal Spanish Football Federation and the Technical Committee of Referees judged this to be a failure to evaluate the sequence of events appropriately.
Due to this, Iglesias Villanueva has become a hot topic of discussion, with many people trying to find out more about him. So, here’s what we know about him:
Who is Ignacio Iglesias Villanueva?
Ignacio Iglesias Villanueva is a well-known soccer referee. He has been in the news because his incomplete provision of photos led to the dismissal of six VAR referees following allegations of racist comments toward Vinicius Jr.
He was born in Puentedeume, La Coruña on June 1, 1975. He also has a brother named Javier Iglesias Villanueva, who is also a soccer referee.
He holds Spanish citizenship. He is currently 47 years old.
His career
A key turning point in his career occurred on September 13, 2010, when Ignacio Iglesias Villanueva made his eagerly anticipated debut in the Spanish First Division. His ability and prowess were on full display throughout the match, a gripping contest between Unión Deportiva Almera and Real Sociedad de Ftbol that ended in a dramatic 2-2 draw.
He appeared at the acclaimed TEDxGalicia program in 2013, stunning the audience with his informative speech on the qualities that distinguish a top athlete in the officiating world.
Ignacio Iglesias Villanueva was threatened with being dropped from the Spanish Primera División in 2019, but this time fate delivered a different hand. He persisted in the face of this setback and accepted a new position as a video assistant referee, offering his wealth of knowledge and experience to help ensure the fairness and integrity of the game.
He officiated his final match as a referee on May 18, 2019, after an exciting contest between Levante Unión Deportiva and Club Atlético de Madrid.
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