Emilio Carlos Guruceta

Emilio Guruceta Muro made his début as a top-level referee in his homeland in the 1968/69 season. In 1970 an episode in the Copa del Generalísimo between Barcelona and Real Madrid brought him to the front pages. He awarded a penalty to the Madridistas for a foul clearly outside the area, sparking fierce controversy, so much so that in his very long career he would later be considered unwelcome by the Blaugrana of Barcelona.

He refereed his first international match in April 1974, a friendly between Portugal and England. Over the years he became one of the most prominent referees on the Spanish scene, effectively spanning almost two decades.

However, Guruceta Muro never reached a top level that would allow him to be selected for a major event such as the final stages of the European Championships or FIFA World Cup. He reached his world peak by directing a match at the 1976 Montreal Olympics and one at the following edition in the Soviet Union. His path in European Club Cups saw him officiate a semi-final of the 1977-78 European Cup (Borussia Mönchengladbach-Liverpool), and the first leg of the 1979-80 UEFA Cup final between the same West German club and Eintracht Frankfurt. At the 1983-84 UEFA Cup, Guruceta Muro was called to officiate the return match between Anderlecht and Nottingham Forest, which was decisive for access to the final.

During the match Guruceta clearly favored the Belgian team and years later, in 1997, this was discovered in the scandal over an accusation of bribery by the president of Anderlecht. The truth about Guruceta’s corruption did not affect him as he had already died in February 1987 in a car accident, but this legacy left a heavy shadow on an otherwise excellent career.