Man-zano of the Match
Who is Jesus Gil Manzano? Meet the Spanish referee officiating at Euro 2024
One of the game's strictest referees is set to take charge at several Euro 2024 clashes
REFEREE Jesus 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.
4
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 4, 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.
Most read in Sport
Has Jesus Gil Manzano officiated at major tournaments before?
Gil Manzano has refereed a number of major cup final matches during his career.
He was in charge of the 2021/22 Egyptian Cup final, which saw Cairo's Modern Future FC beat El Mahalla 5-1.
England make their official Euros 2024 squad announcement
In Spain he's been the referee at two Supercopa finals and once for the Copa del Rey.
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.
4
What else has Jesus Gil Manzano done before?
Before refereeing in La Liga, 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.
4
4
Has Jesus Gil Manzano used VAR before?
VAR was introduced to Spain's La Liga in the 2018/19 season, so Gil Manzano should be 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.
Read More on The US Sun
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.
Full list of main referees at Euro 2024
- Michael Oliver (England)
- Anthony Taylor (England)
- Artur Soares Dias (Portugal)
- Jesus Gil Manzano (Spain)
- Marco Guida (Italy)
- Istvan Kovacs (Romania)
- Ivan Kruzliak (Slovakia)
- Danny Makkelie (Netherlands)
- Szymon Marciniak (Poland)
- Halil Umut Meler (Turkey)
- Glenn Nyberg (Sweden)
- Daniele Orsato (Italy)
- Sandro Schärer (Switzerland)
- Daniel Siebert (Germany)
- Clement Turpin (France)
- Slavko Vinčić (Slovenia)
- Felix Zwayer (Germany)
- François Letexier (France)
- Facundo Tello (Argentina)