Antonio Lahoz: Controversial Spanish Referee Receives Guard of Honour During La Liga Game

• A guard of honour is a demonstration of admiration that is traditionally granted to the champions of a league or cup tournament
• In Spain, the act of performing a guard of honour is referred to as a pasillo, which can be translated into English as 'hallway' or 'corridor'
• Although it's typically reserved for players or coaches, the heartwarming gesture of a guard of honour was bestowed upon veteran Spanish referee Antonio Lahoz

Antonio Mateu Lahoz received a guard of honour during Osasuna's home game against Almeria on Saturday afternoon.

The 46-year-old has carved a niche for himself as a controversial referee with his quirky approach to officiating and notoriety in dishing out cards.

His card-happy status received widespread condemnation becoming the pantomime villain during the 2022 World Cup quarterfinal match between the Netherlands and Argentina, with the Valencia-born referee flashing a record number of bookings.

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He was immediately withdrawn from the tournament thereafter and will no longer officiate in the Spanish top flight after the 2022-23 season following a decision made by the Spanish Referee Technical Committee head Medina Cantalejo, per Football Espana.

Lahoz's guard of honour

As his professional refereeing career comes to an end, Lahoz, who doubles as a Physical Education teacher, received a heartwarming gesture during a match week 34 La Liga clash between Osasuna and Almeria held at the Estadio El Sadar in Pamplona.

The home side created two parallel lines to flank the veteran official as he entered the pitch amid hugs and cheers, per ESPNFC.

Here is the video:

The game was eventually won by Osasuna as they kept their European dreams alive with a 3-1 win over Almeria.

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Lahoz slams Barcelona star

Experienced Spanish referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz had a harsh conversation with Barcelona winger Ansu Fati during his side's La Liga game with crosstown rivals Espanyol, Sports Brief reported.

In a tempestuous Catalan derby between the two Spanish clubs, Lahoz characteristically took centre stage by flashing multiple cards.

But aside from Lahoz's notoriety of dishing out cards, his relatively awkward chat with Ansu Fati during the game appears to be making the rounds on the internet.

FIFA 'sacks' Lahoz from World Cup

Earlier, Sports Brief reported that controversial referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz was sent home following a tempestuous World Cup game that he officiated.

Lahoz was in charge of the Argentina clash vs the Netherlands on December 9, 2022, and was on the spot for making dubious decisions.

The Spanish referee handed out a total of 15 yellow cards in a game that was constantly punctuated by rising flares from both teams.