This October, as it happened in September too, La Liga’s referees will undergo a new physical check-up, from 21st to 28th at the Football City of the Royal Spanish Football Federation in Las Rozas.

The referee appointed by CTA for El Clasico must do it a week before the match at the Camp Nou. The VAR and AVAR will undergo the test at the weekend of the same week when the match takes place at the Camp Nou.

Once the competition resumes after the break for the national teams, those weeks will be intense for the referees’ union, which is presided by Carlos Velasco Carballo. Usually CTA, who did the same while the previous international break in September, waits until the referees finish their international commitments in order to make official designations for the ninth match of La Liga.

The designations of both the referee and the VAR assistants have a special importance. CTA will carry out new physical tests for the referees of the maximum category just like it was made last September, specifically on 15 and 22 September.

As SPORT already announced, 28 June the Technical Committee published its instruction number two, in which expected physical and technical concentrations for the 2018/19 season were set. Besides, new physical tests that will be different from the other ones (the one in Valencia before the preseason match and the next ones in November and March). They are adapted to those tests that are carried out in UEFA and FIFA.

But in the same instruction, in addition to these physical tests, the Committee announced that “CTA will check the physical condition of the referees’and La Liga’s assistants, coinciding with the VAR team´s working sessions in the Football City of the Royal Spanish Football Federation in Las Rozas. Well, after the first tests in September, now the physical test will be repeated to check the physical state of the referees again; that isn’t the same check-up as FIFA´s mandatory events in August, November and March.

So it will coincide with La Liga’s ninth matchday on 20-21 October when the VAR referees pass the scheduled test in the Football City. And it seems logical that el Clasico’s referee will be present in that session. The CTA meeting officially scheduled on Monday, 22 October, six days before the match between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid at the Camp Nou.

It will be the weekend of 28-29 October, the corresponding to the 10th matchday, when el Clasico is scheduled and when they will pass this month’s test for the referees cited for the VAR of the 9th match, among them the VAR and AVAR that will be in the VAR room from which the referee will be accompanied.

Therefore these two will have their physical and blood check-ups while others will be preparing for the first big game of the season. Undoubtedly the CTA will face very intense and important weeks. There is no doubt that el Clasico’s match will be examined by the VAR. Although, despite the complaints of some sectors, CTA and La Liga itself are very satisfied with implementing this technology in the first 8 matches of La Liga.

Source: Sport