Spanish football referees Fernando Teixeira Vitienes (photo) and Jose Teixeira Vitienes have both been relegated from the Primera Division and, as a result, have chosen to retire from officiating altogether.
The embattled officiating duo, like many referees, have come under fire from the clubs and fans multiple times throughout their careers and, as is customary in Spanish football, referees, like clubs, also get relegated and the Teixeira Vitienes brothers have suffered the same fate as Cordoba, Elche and Almeria according to Radio Cope. However, in the case of the Teixeira Vitienes, the relegation was not the cause for their retirement as many would expect, the true reason for their retirement is that officials aged 45 or older can no longer be promoted back to the Primera Division and thus, fall down each tier of Spanish football until they end up at the base level. As Jose (ex-Primera referee) will be 45 on the 18th July and Fernando (ex-FIFA referee) will be 44 on the 28th July, they will no longer have the opportunity to be “promoted” again. The Santander-born duo, as is normal with Primera and international referees, will likely join the Spanish Referees Committee or take another administrative position.
Source: Inside Spanish Football
