Spanish referees get their names back as La Liga scraps 55-year rule brought in to avoid criticism of brutal dictator Francisco Franco

According to Marca, the Spanish Technical Committee of Referees (CTA), under new president Fran Soto, has announced that La Liga referees will now be addressed by their first and last names rather than their two surnames. Until now, officials were referred to by both surnames, such as Soto Grado, Hernandez Hernandez and Sanchez Martínez, but will now revert to using their first name and surname. This change reverses a naming style that began in 1969, during Francisco Franco’s dictatorship, when concerns arose that referee criticism could be mistaken for political statements against the leader.

Before the 1970s, referees in Spain were introduced by their first and last names, just like players. However, after the debut of referee Angel Franco Martínez in 1969, political sensitivity led the regime to enforce a two-surname format. The CTA’s decision to revert to the old style is part of a broader initiative to make referees more relatable to the public and to modernise the profession. This change also coincides with new transparency measures, such as revealing match referee appointments 24 hours before kick-off, and welcoming three debutants for the 2025-26 season.

The 20 referees confirmed for the upcoming La Liga campaign are: Jesus Gil (Gil Manzano), Cesar Soto (Soto Grado), Mateo Busquets (Busquets Ferrer), Javier Alberola (Alberola Rojas), Ricardo de Burgos (de Burgos Bengoetxea), Alejandro Jose Hernandez (Hernandez Hernandez), Alejandro Muniz (Muniz Ruiz), Jose Luis Munuera (Munuera Montero), Jose Maria Sanchez (Sanchez Martinez), Adrian Cordero (Cordero Vega), Guillermo Cuadra (Cuadra Fernandez), Isidro Díaz de Mera (Diaz de Mera Escuderos), Iosu Galech (Galech Apezteguía), Victor Garcia (Garcia Verdura), Jose Luis Guzman (Guzman Mansilla), Francisco Hernandez (Hernandez Maeso), Juan Martinez (Martinez Munuera), Miguel Angel Ortiz (Ortiz Arias), Alejandro Quintero (Quintero Gonzalez), and Miguel Sesma (Sesma Espinosa).

The change will come into effect from the start of the 2025-26 La Liga season, kicking off this weekend with the opener between Girona and Rayo Vallecano, officiated by Javier Alberola.