Guruceta: Legend As Well As Controversy

Born inwards San Sebastian on four Nov 1941, Emilio Carlos Guruceta Muro, had a vivid career inwards refereeing. At 25 he refereed inwards the 3rd segmentation in addition to iii years afterwards debuted inwards the foremost division. On 25 Feb 1987, spell driving to Pamplona to referee the Copa del Rey check Osasuna – Real Madrid, he suffered an accident inwards Fraga, say of Huesca, inwards which Guruceta in addition to i of his assistants, Vidal Torres, lost their lives.

Guruceta was the foremost modern referee of Spain, alongside a bang-up physical shape in addition to beingness able to communicate naturally alongside the players. His mention remained inwards history for his bang-up refereeing career in addition to the trophy for the best referee of each flavor bears his finally name. However, he is also remembered for a controversial decision. "At that time, at that spot was no communication organization in addition to nosotros used to communicate alongside Guruceta using passwords, which were really effective, but alongside that mess at the Nou Camp it was impossible to warn him that Rife's foul on Velázquez had been exterior the punishment area," says Luis Olasagasti, the assistant referee that ran the line of piece of employment inwards the Cup check Barcelona – Real Madrid, which took house on 6 June 1970. “The game was going well, although the atmosphere on the champaign was really loaded, alongside bang-up anxiety after Barcelona scored a destination in addition to approached to equalize the tie. It was a Cup check in addition to inwards the foremost leg Madrid had won 2-0. The other AR was Eusebio Nieva. We were really closed in addition to everything seemed to survive controlled, but that play came in addition to at that spot was no means to tell Emilio what happened. Anyway, I don't know if he would accept listened to me because, if he saw it clearly, his determination used to survive final”, says Olasagasti. That black was long for Guruceta in addition to his assistants, who ended upwards at the police push clit station. “We were really reassured to survive accompanied past times González Echeverría, the president of the Gipuzkoan referees. We acted inwards proficient organized faith in addition to did non sympathise why a referee determination was a thing of police push clit station”. The journalist Gorka Reizabal, who was a referee in addition to acted every bit an assistant referee iii times alongside the famous Guruceta, described his character: “Guruceta was really chatty, really nice, but on the champaign he imposed champaign of written report alongside his presence. He entered refereeing every bit a cyclone, climbed from Third to First Division inwards iii seasons and, at 28, was already amid the best. His slender appearance in addition to physical shape contrasted alongside many of the other members who looked similar older gentlemen. He was the foremost athlete referee, the foremost shining referee. He was launched past times González Echeverría, who was maybe portrayed inwards him, in addition to he stood out really soon”.

Guruceta was already famous earlier the Nou Camp incident. Reizabal himself commented years agone inwards an article that the referee created arguing fifty-fifty alongside his wedding, a photographic exclusive that he sold to the mag 'Hello!' for one-half a i one k thousand pesetas. Since that incident, Guruceta refused to referee Barcelona yr after yr in addition to that challenged him until 1985. "They used me politically. I know from a government minister that my representative was at a ministerial table. It was near satisfying Catalonia, in addition to they got me dumb", Guruceta said inwards 1980. He was suspended for half-dozen months. "It was an incomprehensible sanction, he was defendant of provoking a world guild conflict. How tin dismiss that survive caused past times calling a error within or exterior the punishment area?", comments 'Pato' Reizabal. After half-dozen months of suspension, Guruceta continued his career. He was an international referee, alongside matches at the Olympic Games inwards Montreal in addition to Moscow, but i time to a greater extent than ran into the scandal over an accusation of bribery past times Anderlecht inwards a check alongside Nottingham. Of course, nada was comparable to that black of 6 June 1970 at the Nou Camp to which nosotros supply inwards memory. The showtime of a beautiful chronicle of Manuel Vazquez Montalban described what happened after the penalty: «Guruceta extends his arm in addition to runs towards the punishment spot. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 broken scream is born inwards the pharynx of the spectators, the pads already await similar poppies amid the light-green wheat fields. Barcelona players start out a withdrawal displace towards the locker room. Night poppies proceed to sprout on the grass. The pelting of pads is awesome. Twenty, 30 one k pads fill upwards the black alongside foreign colorations, in addition to behind the pads the foremost spectators arise. They create non boundary to assail the referee. They boundary to tell the players to leave. Guruceta starts to instruct restless. No i touches him, non fifty-fifty a pilus all night... but mortal advises 'because nosotros dear you'. And Guruceta left.