Donosti Cup: There are also no borders for arbitration

«The truth is that when I had to pack I thought that the referee’s clothes would be enough, but…». The Belgian Lalgux Achilles makes this comment while pointing to the thermal shirt that he wears under the Donosti Cup collegiate shirt. He resignedly observes the tremendous storm that is unloading on Loinaz, knowing that in just a few minutes he will have to be in the rain whistling the match that yesterday pitted Rayo Ensanche against Tolosa at the Beasaindarra pitch.

At 17 years old, this little pigtail born in Deinze is one of those who has come to Gipuzkoa to lead matches in the Donosti Cup. Just a few kilometers away, in Ordizia, was his partner, the Polish Witold Brunka. He made a hole to serve us after suspending the match momentarily due to the tremendous downpour of water that was falling on Altamira.

Both are part of the group of foreign referees who have arrived as part of the Referee Abroad program, which provides tournaments such as the Donosti Cup with referees from different parts of the world in order to contribute to their development. In addition to Achilles and Brunka, there are also referees from Hungary, Poland, Germany, Slovenia, Sweden, Luxembourg, Estonia or Finland; and three who have come to the tournament from different regions of the Spanish geography.

The Belgian Achilles assures that he learned of the opportunity to come to referee this tournament when he was in Cascais, directing IberCup matches: “I really liked the experience and I am also enjoying this one”. Despite being only 17 years old, he directs senior category matches in Belgium: «Referee in the second province and today is the seventh game that he directs this week». In the Donosti Cup he is encountering “players who behave professionally, who try to understand me and who have a good mentality towards the referees”. So far he has not experienced any unpleasant incident and he stresses that “young people respect our work, as do parents. At times they scream after making a decision they don’t like, but it’s normal and it’s nothing you can’t see elsewhere.”

enjoying the city

It is his first time in Donostia and, apart from refereeing, he has also had time “to make a visit to the beach”, although as he said at the beginning, the weather this week has surprised him: “When I came to Spain I thought that It was going to be hot,” he jokes.

Along with his teammates, every morning he goes to the field where it is his turn to whistle the Polish Witold Brunka. Yesterday he was at the whistle in Ordizia and he also highlights that he is not encountering any out of place behavior: “The children are very respectful”, he says, but he stresses that “communication is complicated because not many know English and we have to communicate through gestures ». He also explains that the parents “are behaving as they should. They are emotional, but like everywhere.” He also officiates senior matches in his country. He is still far from the elite, but he wants to continue climbing: «You always want to whistle in a higher category. My dream as a referee would be to one day manage a Champions League match », but for now, like his teammates, he enjoys the experience that the Donosti Cup is giving them in collaboration with Referee Abroad. Brunka adds that the initiative is proving very positive “because it helps us develop as referees and improve our level.”

While sharing a few minutes of chat with El Diario Vasco, Witold Brunka looked at the sky attentively, waiting for the storm to give some respite so that the match between QMB Sports B and Soccer Lleida i Aragón could resume. Despite the rain, he enjoyed it.

This 30th edition of the Donosti Cup has a fundamental collaboration for the mobility of the people who make up the organization. Thanks to BMW Lurauto, the tournament has twelve vehicles, some of them hybrid and electric, thanks to which staff and referees can move efficiently and sustainably.

After two years in which this appointment could not be held, the coaches’ match was played in Zubieta late yesterday. At the halfway point of the tournament, with the regular phase over and the knockout rounds about to begin, it is a perfect excuse for coaches and coaching staff to enjoy football.

On Tuesday, the Reale Arena hosted the master training sessions that LaLiga has organized this year for participants in the Donosti Cup. Space was limited to 22 boys and as many girls, and those in charge of directing these sessions were specialists in grassroots football. LaLiga is also present in the Fan Zone with a stand.