Following the conclusion of the 2025-26 season, the Technical Committee of Referees (CTA) has published its final reports, detailing the promotions and relegations of match officials. In this reorganization, Córdoba CF will see one of the referees who has generated the most controversy in their matches, Álvaro Moreno Aragón, step down from on-field officiating.
The Granada-born referee, affiliated with the Madrid committee, had previously indicated his intention to retire from active officiating. The CTA has formalized this decision by assigning him a role as a video assistant referee (VAR) for the upcoming campaign. This change marks the end of a period of constant friction with the 'blanquiverde' club, characterized by a poor statistical record: only one Córdoba victory in 13 matches under his direction. Tensions peaked this season after a defeat against Deportivo de La Coruña, when coach Iván Ania stated his hope that this referee would not officiate their games again, a wish that has been fulfilled for the remainder of the season.
“"I hoped this referee would not officiate our games again."
The VOR room will undergo a significant overhaul. Alongside Moreno Aragón, the organization led by Fran Soto has implemented a substantial clear-out. International referees Guillermo Cuadra Fernández and Alejandro Muñiz Ruiz have been demoted from their First Division status, losing their FIFA badges to exclusively serve as VAR referees. This influx of new names leads to the departure of other officials who were regulars on the monitors, some with a recent controversial past involving Córdoba CF, such as Óliver de la Fuente Ramos, Mario Melero López, and notably, Pablo González Fuertes, who precisely alerted Moreno Aragón from Las Rozas during that cited match against the Galician team.
The changes driven by the new head of Spanish refereeing extend to the Second Division. In addition to Moreno Aragón's retirement, three other main referees are being relegated: Alonso de Ena Wolf, Miguel González Díaz, and Sergiu Claudiu Muresan Muresan. To fill these positions and restructure the roster, there will be up to eight new faces in LaLiga Hypermotion next season. Two of them arrive after being relegated from the top tier: Iosu Galech Apezteguía and José Luis Guzmán Mansilla. Joining them are direct promotions from Primera RFEF: Abraham Domínguez Cervantes, Juan Manuel Gordillo Escamilla, Daniel Miranda Bolaños, Pablo Morales Moreno, Gonzalo Romero Freixas, and Olatz Rivera Olmedo.
The promotion of Olatz Rivera Olmedo marks a historic milestone for men's professional football. The referee, who will combine her duties with officiating in the Liga F, will join Marta Huerta de Aza in the Second Division. This will be the first time in the history of the second tier that two women serve as main referees simultaneously.
