A few years ago, in a match between the Hurricane and Logrones, the referee and one of the assistants were injured. The match continued because there was a referee in the audience who came down from the stands, dressed in shorts and led the match. Situations like this are unusual, but shows why the referees need to be prepared for any contingency. This applies to Hector Rodriguez Carpallo, born almost 29 years ago in Salamanca (he will reach this age in October), but who has lived in Alicante since he was 4. The young man spent last Friday night in the comfortable role of fourth referee when he was told that he has to referee one of the matches with the greatest media focus of the week: Real Madrid-Alaves on Matchday 35.
At a decisive moment of the season, with the team of Zidane in advantage in the ranking and with the referees - and the application of VAR - in the eye of the hurricane, the match was being led by Jesus Gil Manzano. The Extremaduran is considered one of the best Spanish referees. In a fortuitous situation at the end of the first half, he suffered an injury to his right ankle as a result of a collision with Lucas Vazquez. Gil Manzano tried to continue, he was even attended, but after the break he gave the whistle to his fourth official, Hector Rodriguez Carpallo, who is only serving his second season in Segunda B, where the VAR does not apply. Rodriguez Carpallo got his first taste of VAR within five minutes. Benzema received the ball in space, he waited for the right moment and he gave the ball to his left for the unmarked Asensio to tap in. The AR raised his flag as he thought the Frenchman was offside, but after a VAR review, the Segunda B referee awarded the goal.
“He studies games very well. He is highly involved in the technical committee and dedicates more than 50% of his time to refereeing. I already said that he is fully prepared for this type of circumstance”, indicated Pepe Enguix. In such a decisive moment of the competition in which the Federation prefers that the referees do not make statements, the referee from Alicante lived the day after normally. Despite the fact that it was the most relevant situation in the career of this Bachelor of Science in Physical Activity and Sports that started late in refereeing. He completed the course at the age of 17 and did not start until he became of majority age: it was in an 8-a-side soccer match between Carolinas and San Blas. He went through three promotions until last season arrived in Segunda B, allowing him to referee in the Third Division and be appointed as fourth official in the First Division. There he will repeat the following year, hoping that one day refereeing in the Primera Division will not be by chance but something normal.
Source: Las Provincias
