Referee Who Dished Out 18 Cards in Lionel Messi’s Match, Rejects Saudi Pro League’s Offer

The Saudi Pro League has always gone the extra mile in its quest for excellence. While they have successfully done so by attracting star players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar, they now also aim to hire renowned referees from around the globe. However, as they were keen to bring on board an official who once gave 18 cards in a match featuring Lionel Messi, reports indicate that the referee has declined the offer.

Antonio Mateu Lahoz is a name that is enough to ring a few bells. The renowned ref made strides in officiating the 2022 FIFA World Cup QF between Argentina and the Netherlands, as he made 18 bookings! Now, as per the reports, the Spaniard was asked to officiate Saudi league matches and also take on the Head of Arbitration role. In an unfortunate turn of events, Lahoz has allegedly turned down Saudi’s offer. Although his reason for rejecting the deal is unknown, it certainly comes as a huge blow to the stakeholders. Notably, this isn’t the first time Lahoz has been asked to officiate a Saudi Pro League match. 

Earlier, the Valencia-based ref was asked to officiate Al Nassr’s title clash with Al Ittihad in the previous season. But this time, he is refraining from that idea. Remarkably, refereeing has recently become a hot topic in the Middle East. Days ago, Cristiano Ronaldo openly expressed his dismay at the supposed bias towards Al Hilal by the referees. However, in order to change the dynamics, the league administrators are looking at the idea of bringing in foreign referees like Lahoz. Interestingly, there is a similar request put forward by one of the Saudi league teams. 

Al Ittihad seeks overseas officials for a knockout clash

According to reports, Al Ittihad is actively seeking to ensure fairness and repair past controversies by pushing for the inclusion of a foreign referee for their upcoming Saudi Super Cup SF match against Al Wehda on April 8. Interestingly, this isn’t the first instance of a demand for a foreign referee. In the previous season, Al Nassr also made a similar request.

Looking at Al Ittihad’s request, it appears that the clubs are unwilling to risk losing out on potential victories because of controversial refereeing decisions. It remains to be seen if the Saudi league can fulfill this demand for foreign referees, especially given the recent unsuccessful attempt to secure Mateu Lahoz.

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