La Liga: Chema Alonso Resigns From CTA Referee Role

Written by Oluwadamilola Olaleye

Chema Alonso has stepped down from his position as the technology chief of Spain’s referee body, CTA.

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Just few days into the new La Liga season kick-off, the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) have been dealt a major blow with the resignation of technology chief Chema Alonso.

Last month, Alonso was appointed as the new Chief of Technology by the CTA (Referees’ Technical Committee), under the leadership of newly elected President Francisco Soto.

As part of a revamped team responsible for assigning referees to matches, Alonso’s main task is to oversee the integration of artificial intelligence in evaluating referee performance. His role is seen as a crucial step toward modernizing the way officiating is assessed and improved across the league.

However, his appointment quickly sparked controversy. Critics pointed to Alonso’s history of openly expressing strong support for Real Madrid on social media, often through passionate posts that simultaneously included disparaging comments about Barcelona.

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Unsurprisingly, this has caused significant unease in Barcelona, where concerns over bias and impartiality have been raised regarding his involvement in such a sensitive and influential role.

His departure from his role at the CTA is not connected to the controversy surrounding his appointment. Instead, the shift comes as a result of a new professional opportunity as called by Cadena Cope.

The renowned cybersecurity expert has accepted a high-profile position at U.S. tech firm Cloudflare, where he will serve as Vice President and Head of International Development, a role that is considered incompatible with his duties at the CTA, effectively forcing his exit.

However, the situation is further complicated by tensions between La Liga and Cloudflare. The league has previously accused the company of enabling unauthorized streaming of its matches on unlicensed platforms, a long-standing grievance that adds a layer of intrigue to Alonso’s move and raises questions about potential conflicts of interest had he remained in both roles.

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