The matter of La Liga teams giving gifts to referees has been making a lot of noise lately, especially after Real Madrid's away game against Villarreal, when enforcement referee Gil Manzano left the Ceramic Stadium with a Real Madrid package. But the tradition of La Liga clubs giving gifts to referees has been going on for quite some time now, and retired former La Liga referee Iturralde revealed that in reality the value of those gifts is really small or even negligible.
Former La Liga referee Iturralde, who used to regularly enforce UEFA Cup and Champions League fixtures, as well as three national derbies, retired in 2012 due to a muscle injury. He joined FIFA's list of referees after just three years, since he began refereeing Spanish domestic matches in 1995.
Responding to the controversial incident of the referee receiving a gift from Real Madrid last Sunday, the former referee gave his opinion that there is no need to make a big deal out of it.
"The jerseys they give you are usually oversized because it's a jersey they can't sell." Iturral, 50, told the Western media.
Typically, clubs send referees small items such as pins and triangular flags. Each club does not give the same things.
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