The arbitration is An issue that is always under discussion at all levels of football worldwide. In World Cups, in the Champions League, in the best leagues on the planet and also in Guatemala.
It is not easy to be a soccer referee, since you must be prepared and know the rules of the game to ensure that a game is developed as fair as possible.
A referee must be able to control players, maintain order and make decisions that can Have direct impact on the development of a game.
In the Clausura 2025 Tournament of Guatemalan football, the arbitration theme has been the subject of conversation for the constant controversial days after day, and that is why Free press He consulted former Jonathan Polanco, who had a 15 -year -old career as a referee in Guatemala and wore the FIFA badge for four years, about some reasons why, According to him, you live “The worst crisis“Guatemalan arbitration.
Since 2020 Jonathan Polanco created VAR502GTa project where it is dedicated to analyzing the performance of the Guatemalan referees, especially at the level of the National League.
According to Polanco today “Guatemalan arbitration is living the worst quality crisis in its history“, This is because the department in charge of the referees of the Guatemala Football Federation is not functioning as it should.
Polanco performed an analysis and shared three key points for which arbitration in Guatemala would be living this crisis.
José Luis Camargo
According to the ex -arter, one of the reasons for the crisis is that José Luis Camargo, director of arbitration of the Fedefut, does not spend much time in Guatemala for international commitments.
“This product (the crisis) of a poor instruction from the Department of Arbitration that is directed by José Luis Camargo. Unfortunately, because of the commitments he has international, there is little time that spends physically in Guatemala. That is why Most of the instructions received by the referees are virtuallyThat is why this crisis has caused, “he said.
Little analysis
The second reason is that there would be no correct analysis after each day. The referees would not review their performance and that is why they make “the same mistakes.”
“Another of the issues that have fallen for is that the mistakes that are made day after day are not consistently reviewed. There is no video review and therefore There is no correction work by the Department of Arbitration. That is why the referees make mistakes, the same mistakes constantly, “he says.
No referee processes
Finally, another of the reasons that Polanco finds about the arbitration failures in Guatemala football is that “there are no processes” for whistles.
“There is no real process with these referees. They accelerated so much a renewal of arbitration that it is only fictitious, these new referees did not give them a process in the Ascent League, they did not have the due process in the third, second or first division, but rather, but also that They want the National League to mature And since the National League has more media coverage, The referees are not psychologically prepared for the pressure caused by this issue“He said.