Eduardo Iturralde González
| Full name | Eduardo Iturralde González | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born | February 20, 1967 Arrankudiaga, Biscay, Basque, Spain | ||
| Other occupation | Prosthodontist | ||
| Domestic | |||
| Years | League | Role | |
| 1995-2012 | La Liga | Referee | |
| International | |||
| Years | League | Role | |
| 1998-2012 | FIFA listed | Referee | |
Eduardo Iturralde González (born 20 February 1967 in Arrankudiaga) is a retired Spanish football referee.
He frequently referees European matches in the Europa League and Champions League. Iturralde notably refereed the El Clásico on three occasions, in 1999, 2005[1] and most recently in November 2010, in which he was praised for his solid and free-flowing performance.[2]
Iturralde González was the referee of the Republic of Ireland's 2–1 win over Armenia in the last Euro 2012 qualifying match. Early in the game, he sent off Armenian goalkeeper Roman Berezovsky for a handball, although video replays clearly show that the ball hit his chest rather than his arm.[3] The red card decision was criticised by some reporters, who believe it may have cost Armenia qualification.[4][5] Two days after the match, the Football Federation of Armenia officially filed a protest to UEFA over the goalkeeper's dismissal.[3]
On March 23, 2012, he announced his retirement from refereeing due to disagreements with the Spanish Technical Committee, although it was already time for him to retire at the end of the 2011–12 season. His last game was Real Betis vs Real Madrid (2–3) on March 10, 2012. He could not finish this game due to a muscle injury, being substituted by the fourth referee, Gorka Sagués Oscoz, during half time.
References
- ↑ "Mourinho: Barcelona happier with choice of referee". www.thejakartapost.com. 29 November 2010. Retrieved 30 November 2010.
Eduardo Iturralde Gonzalez has refereed two games between the teams, with Barcelona winning both times, in 1999 and 2005.
- ↑ "Referee Watch: Eduardo Iturralde González In The Clasico Between Barcelona And Real Madrid". goal.com. 30 November 2010. Retrieved 30 November 2010.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Armenia file protest to Uefa over goalkeeper's red card". Irish Times. 14 October 2011. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- ↑ "Cox says keeper sending-off harsh". BBC. 11 October 2011.
- ↑ Doyle, Paul (12 October 2011). "Hypocrisy not at hand despite Republic of Ireland's slice of luck". The Guardian (London: GMG). ISSN 0261-3077. OCLC 60623878. Retrieved 13 October 2011.