Spanish football has experienced this January 20, 2026, one of the most turbulent days in its recent history. FIFA, in an unprecedented measure in the field of national leagues, has officially announced the immediate dismissal of the referee officials involved in the controversial LaLiga match between Real Sociedad and FC Barcelona, ​​played on January 18 at the Reale Arena in San Sebastián.

The main referee, Jesús Gil Manzano, along with the VAR team headed by Carlos del Cerro Grande, have been relieved of their duties with immediate effect, as confirmed by FIFA itself in an official statement issued this morning.

The decision comes after an avalanche of criticism and evidence pointing to serious irregularities in the refereeing of the match, which ended with a 2-1 victory for Real Sociedad and which nipped in the bud Barcelona’s impressive streak of 11 consecutive victories in all competitions. Hansi Flick’s team clearly dominated the match, accumulating 24 shots (9 on goal), four posts and an overwhelming superiority in possession and chances, but the final score did not reflect that reality on the field of play.

The great negative protagonist was, without a doubt, Jesús Gil Manzano. In the first 21 minutes of the match, the Extremaduran referee annulled three goals against Barcelona: the first by Fermín López, invalidated after a VAR review for an alleged previous foul by Dani Olmo on Takefusa Kubo (a highly discussed action, since the images showed minimal and natural contact in the dispute); Frenkie de Jong’s second, ruled out due to positional offside; and the third by Lamine Yamal, also annulled for an offside position in a millimeter decision that the VAR supported with lines that many consider subjective.

Furthermore, a penalty initially awarded in favor of Barça for an action against Yamal was invalidated, and in the goal of Real Sociedad’s temporary tie (1-1), the Blaugranas insistently claimed a previous foul on Dani Olmo that was not even reviewed.

The replays and VAR audios, later published by LaLiga, only fueled the fire. In one of the key conversations, the VAR recommended reviewing the play of Fermín’s goal due to “potential infraction”, and after the on-field review, Gil Manzano chose to annul it. However, in Real Sociedad’s subsequent goal, where Aramburu contacted Olmo in the area, there was no review despite the angry protests of the culé bench.

The outrage was not limited to the Barcelona locker room. Hansi Flick, visibly restrained at a press conference, declared: “Everyone saw what happened. I don’t want to waste energy talking about that referee. There are very good referees in Spain, but we all know what this referee is like.” Frenkie de Jong, team captain, was more direct: “I’m the captain and I can’t even talk to him. He looks at me as if I were above him. Something similar happened here last year.” Their words resonated throughout the country and reached FIFA.

The Technical Committee of Referees (CTA) of the RFEF, under pressure, raised the case to international bodies arguing “possible serious damage to the integrity of the competition.” FIFA, which oversees the world’s elite refereeing program, acted with unusual speed. In its statement, the entity chaired by Gianni Infantino noted that “after analyzing the audiovisual evidence and internal reports, it has been determined that the decisions made significantly affected the development of the match and sporting equity.”

As a consequence, Gil Manzano and the VAR team have been suspended indefinitely from any high-level international and national matches, while a formal investigation is opened that could lead to more serious sanctions.

This measure has been interpreted by many in the Blaugrana environment as a long-awaited act of justice. Joan Laporta, president of FC Barcelona, ​​was quick to react: “Finally someone has had the courage to act. This is not just for our game; it is for the credibility of LaLiga. We cannot allow biased decisions to decide titles.”

Sources close to the club assure that the Barcelona board had prepared an exhaustive dossier with Gil Manzano’s history against Barça (nine defeats in 45 games coached, the worst ratio in history), and that this case was the last straw.

The impact on LaLiga’s standings is immediate and devastating for the favoritism narrative. With this defeat, Barcelona sees Real Madrid close the gap to just one point at the top of the table. Many Barcelona fans and independent analysts maintain that, if these referee decisions had not been made, Barça would have added three key points and maintained a greater lead. The suspicion that the refereeing system could be inclined to favor the eternal rival has gained strength, especially after similar episodes in past seasons.

The Blaugrana fans have exploded in celebration on social networks. Hashtags such as #JusticiaParaElBarça, #GilManzanoFuera and #FIFAActua already dominate global trends. Thousands of messages celebrate that “justice has been done” and that this dismissal sets a historical precedent: no arbitrator will be able to act with impunity when the evidence demonstrates serious errors or partiality.

However, FIFA’s decision also generates debate. Some sectors, including neutral voices and the CTA, argue that FIFA’s direct intervention in domestic league matters is exceptional and could set a dangerous precedent of interference. Others argue that, given the magnitude of the irregularities and the damage to the image of Spanish football, it was necessary to act forcefully.

Meanwhile, Real Sociedad and their coach celebrate the victory on the field, but avoid entering into the referee controversy. Barcelona, ​​for its part, is already preparing the next commitment with high morale: the dismissal of the referees involved represents, for many, the beginning of a new era of greater transparency and impartiality in Spanish arbitration.

Spanish football holds its breath. Will this be the turning point that clears the competition of suspicion? Or just another chapter in the eternal battle for credibility? The truth is that, after what happened in Anoeta and the withering response from FIFA, nothing will be the same in LaLiga again.