The Spanish refereeing world has undergone a silent but deep restructuring.
Amid a wave of transparency and modernization, the Technical Committee of Referees has brought in an unexpected figure. It's a cybersecurity expert with a well-known affinity for Real Madrid.
His name is Chema Alonso and, from now on, he'll have a say and a vote in everything related to technology, data analysis, and, above all, referee appointments.
His signing hasn't gone unnoticed. Not only because of his résumé as a hacker and his experience as a top executive at Telefónica, but also because of his openly declared support for Madrid. He has expressed it publicly, without filters.
At a time when neutrality is demanded in professional soccer, his arrival has raised many questions... Few answers.
A structure tailored to fit
Alonso isn't coming alone. His entry is part of a broader restructuring driven from within the Committee to win over the eternally dissatisfied Florentino Pérez.
But there's a detail that strongly stands out: despite the changes, a key figure keeps her position.
It's Yolanda Parga, head of women's refereeing, but also influential in decisions about the men's side. She's the wife of Mejía Dávila, referee advisor at Real Madrid and former referee, also known for the Madridist Negreira case.
Her presence has been questioned from many sectors due to a possible conflict of interest. Even so, she remains. Probably because that's what Florentino Pérez wants.
With Chema Alonso now on board, the feeling in some offices is that the current refereeing structure will openly favor Madrid's interests. This perception doesn'thing to help the already damaged credibility of Spanish refereeing, which has been shaken by the "Negreira case."
Alonso's new role
Officially, Chema Alonso will be in charge of matters related to artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and analysis processes. All focused on improving refereeing. But the reality is that his role will go beyond the technical.
He'll be responsible for helping to perfect the appointment system, detecting suspicious patterns in refereeing performance, and designing a digital monitoring platform for referees.
All under the umbrella of modernization... with an ability to influence that some fear could have implications for the competition.
Many are wondering if Real Madrid TV, which has focused on pointing out the refereeing mistakes that suited it best each matchday, won't lose part of its reason for being. If a Madridist now controls the system, who are they going to report?
Florentino's total control
This latest move is seen as another step by Florentino Pérez to consolidate his dominance in the offices. With the Negreira case, there was talk of favoritism toward Barça. What is now starting to be perceived is that the pendulum has swung the other way.
With Chema Alonso, the Committee has a new brain. Madridist, of course.