Gornal, Artesa, Guinardó, Mollet, Mataró, Bescanó and this week Sant Gibert (Girona). All that in one season. Few people know the geography of football like Tabiza, referee of Primera Catalana and base football.
Is football racist?
To think that we are going to eliminate racism in football overnight is impossible. It must become residual in the company until it is zero. In football there are fewer and fewer. If we go back decades, insulting was very normal. It was bestiality. Now it is calmer and it is important that every time there is an episode of racism it causes alarm.
Who is worse: players, coaches or public?
The players know that I can sanction them and that later the sanction from the Committee is worse. I have never had that problem with them. It has always been with the public.
Have you had to suspend many games?
This season still none. But last season, yes: two. And it was because of the behavior of the public.
What have they said to you?
‘Shitty moro’ and ‘Puto moro’. And even ‘you are whistling wrong for Ramadan’. He was a father.
A parent of a player?
Yes, it was grassroots football, a youth game. Then I stopped the game and said: ‘This is an insult to me.’ I applied the Zero Insults protocol. There were minutes left and it was not repeated. I included it in the minutes.
What an example for the son.
You feel sorry for the children who are playing, who are younger or younger. The example they are giving is not correct. What happens if her son answers: ‘The other day you were insulting the referee’? Children, on the other hand, go to play, enjoy themselves and are not malicious.
At the first insult you say enough is enough?
According to the Zero Insults protocol we can stop the game up to three times. On the third, you are obliged to suspend it. It is an insult, but we know that we have to be quite tough with racism, machismo and homophobia. When he stops, the delegate is told to inform the sector that he is insulting.
Isn’t there more tension?
The protocol is an advance. Before they insulted you and you couldn’t do anything. Now we have this tool regulated. If we consider it to be very serious we can suspend even the first insult.
Do you find understanding if you suspend the match?
Obviously the tension grows because they have to come another day, probably during the week and from afar to complete the meeting.
Have you suffered attacks?
The only time was a kick from a player. She had committed an act against a rival and I expelled her. She then turned on me but it wasn’t racially motivated.
Weren’t your parents scared when you became a referee?
My parents trust me a lot. They like it to be part of the sport and have responsibility. By the way, this year my brother, who is 15 years old, which is the minimum age, has signed up to referee.
Were you afraid in any field?
A couple of times. You expel many people from a team and you don’t know the reaction they will have. In Tercera and Cuarta Catalana, which are not so professionalized, they can commit some violent act.
Can good refereeing change a racist mentality?
The truth is that it is one of my goals both in sport and in life. I want to be an example: in refereeing, at work and in studies. This is how I try to educate racist people so that they see you with different eyes and accept different people. It is the way.
