Who is Gil Manzano? Bio, Stats, Controversies, and Favourite Club

Gil Manzano is a Spanish referee who has been officiating matches in La Liga since 2012 and is a part of the Spanish Football Referees Association. The 41-year-old official started his journey as a referee at the age of 17 when he started officiating matches in the Tercera, the fourth division of the Spanish football pyramid. Alongside his reputation as a regular match official in La Liga, Gil Manzano has also officiated matches in the Segunda B (third division of Spanish football) as well as LaLiga2 in the past, as we look more at the Gil Manzano bio.

Gil Manzano Referee Career

Gil Manzano made his debut in the Segunda Division B in the match between Atletico Madrileno and Rayo Cantabria on 17 September, 2006. He was promoted to La Liga 2 in 2009, gaining a bigger reputation as a referee within the Spanish Referees Association. The first-ever La Liga match that he officiated was in the 2012/13 La Liga campaign, when they was the referee for the match between Malaga and Mallorca.

Soon afterwards, he was also appointed referee for the 2013/14 Copa del Rey quarterfinal between Real Sociedad and Racing Santander, where the latter refused to play beyond the second minute. Gil Manzano has recently caught the headlines because of his officiating in Barcelona's 2-1 loss to Real Sociedad on Sunday (18 January, 2026).

Manzano made some questionable decision-making in the game, causing him to be criticized by Barcelona captain Frenkie de Jong as well as their manager, Hansi Flick.

Gil Manzano was also the referee for the 2025/26 Spanish Supercopa final between Barcelona and Real Madrid, which the Blaugrana won by a 3-2 margin. He has officiated 45 Barcelona matches in his career, out of which they have won on 28 occasions and lost nine times. Apart from his time acting as a referee in La Liga, Manzano has also officiated matches in the UEFA Champions League, UEFA European Championship, and UEFA Europa League, as we look at his numbers in the Gil Manzano bio.

Gil Manzano and Hansi Flick Clashes

The Spanish football referee has had his share of controversies when it comes to refereeing Barcelona matches in the past, especially those after Hansi Flick became their manager. For one, Manzano holds the record for being the referee who gave Lionel Messi his only red card in his Barcelona career. He has shown 11 red cards in the matches of Barcelona, the most for any team which he has acted as a referee in his storied refereeing career.

Gil Manzano has had his share of problems with Hansi Flick as well. He sent off Hansi Flick in Barcelona's 2-1 win over Girona in the 2025/26 La Liga clash earlier this campaign, forcing Flick to face a touchline ban for the El Clásico, which Barcelona lost 2-1 against Real Madrid. Flick lost his cool at Manzano after the loss to Real Sociedad recently as well, slamming the referee's attitude and unwillingness to properly communicate with him or his players.

Flick stated about Manzano:

Which Club Does He Support?

Gil Manzano has been widely accused of being a Real Madrid fan because of his questionable performances in some Barcelona matches, but there's no proof to show he supports the Spanish heavyweights. Although Manzano is not listed among the best referees in the world, he hails from Don Benito, a small town in the province of Extremadura, Spain. There aren't really any notable football clubs from that region and Manzano has not opened up about his allegiances in football, mostly because he needs to maintain unbiasedness as a referee.