The referee Jesús Gil Manzano was confirmed to officiate the match between Villarreal and Deportivo, generating alert at the local club due to a relationship marked by controversy in recent years.
One of the first major conflicts occurred in a Villarreal-Real Madrid match in 2017, when the referee awarded a penalty for involuntary handball by Bruno Soriano, having shortly before left unpunished a similar action by Marcelo in the opposite area.
After the match, Fernando Roig was very critical of the referee's performance, which marked the beginning of a tense relationship between the club and the referee.
Since then, the name of the Extremaduran referee has inevitably been linked to some of the most controversial episodes experienced by the Yellow Submarine, increasing concern about his appointment for this important match.
