He was one of the three Spanish referees shortlisted for the World Cup in Qatar but, in the end, he was left at the gates. A few days after that disappointment, Jesus Gil Manzano participated in the “Friends of Refereeing” online talk led by Pavel Fernandez.
Promotion: “In the First Division it was more expected, that’s why I remember more the promotion to Second “A”, the move to professional football. I was in Salamanca doing final exams when I received a phone call with a Barcelona prefix and it was Enriquez Negreira, the vice-president of the CTA. I think that was the only time I cried with joy.”
The Spanish Cup final: “It is a special game, after a lot of matches; the final is a prize for many years of work and a good season. It's also special because your family is going to see you and it's a way of giving back what they’ve given you”.
The World Cup: “I’ll stick with the positive: I have been to the U-20 World Cup, I have shared experiences with top-level referees, discovering another way of seeing football. It is not a failure. The same people who have shortlisted us are the ones who have decided that it was someone else going to Qatar. We are 10 international referees in Spain, but 20 of us could be. We work daily to improve, so that errors are as few as possible”.
Plans for 2026: "Making medium-term plans in refereeing is eternity. You have to go season-by-season. Due to the required commitment, desire, and effort, it will not be easy”.
Source: Arbitro10
