Who is Jesus Gil Manzano? Meet the Spanish referee officiating at Euro 2024
REFEREE Jesús Gil Manzano is set to officiate at a number of high profile Euro 2024 games.
Read on to find out more about the Spaniard’s twelve years refereeing at top flight matches ahead of the tournament.
Spanish referee Jesus Gil Manzano will be officiating at Euro 2024Getty Images
Who is Jesus Gil Manzano?
Jesús Gil Manzano is a Spanish football referee, and one of the most experienced in Europe.
He was born on February 4th, 1984, in Spanish town Don Benito.
Gil Manzano made his La Liga refereeing debut in 2012 when he officiated a match between Malaga and Mallorca.
He’s notably taken charge of several El Clasico games.
The top referee is now set to officiate at a number of Euro 2024 tournament clashes after refereeing three qualifiers.
Gil Manzano was at the centre of controversy in 2017 when he awarded a dodgy penalty to Real Madrid in their win over Villarreal – and was later spotted carrying a bag of Real goodies back to his car.
He also upset Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid side when he disallowed a late Jude Bellingham winner against Valencia in March 2024.
Bellingham was handed a post-match red card when he challenged the decision.
Has Jesus Gil Manzano officiated at major tournaments before?
Jesús Gil Manzano has refereed a number of major cup final matches during his career.
The most recent was the 2021/22 Egyption Cup final, which saw Cairo’s Modern Future FC beat El Mahalla 5-1.
Jesus Gil Manzano gives a yellow card to Rayo Vallecano’s Oscar ValentinGetty Images
In Spain he’s been the referee of two Supercopa finals and once for the Copa del Ray.
On the international stage he officiated at a number of 2018 and 2022 World Cup qualifiers.
He’s been the referee at 22 Champions League games, including the 2023 semi final clash where Inter Milan beat AC Milan 2-0.
What else has Jesus Gil Manzano done before?
Before refereeing in La Liga, Jesús Gil Manzano spent a number of years officiating in the lower leagues of Spanish football.
He’s built up a reputation as being a referee who sticks to the rules – but also as one who hands out a lot of red cards.
Gil Manzano’s one of the few referees to have handed a red card to Argentine football legend Lionel Messi.
Jesus Gil Manzano shows Lionel Messi the red cardGetty Images
Has Jesus Gil Manzano used VAR before?
VAR was introduced to Spain’s La Liga in the 2018/19 season, so Jesús Gil Manzano should be well up to speed with the often-controversial video-assisted refereeing system.
It’s set to be used at the 2024 Euros in Germany – although there may be a last-minute halt.
The 2018 FIFA World Cup was the first major tournament to approve its use in full, which saw it used in all matches throughout its final stages.
It was credited with making the 2018 edition the cleanest World Cup since 1986, with no red cards issued in the opening 11 games and only four players were sent off throughout the entire tournament.
