Ángel Franco Martínez

Ángel Franco Martínez (31 October 1938 – 3 February 2024) was a Spanish football official. He officiated in the Segunda División from 1966 to 1969 and in La Liga from 1969 to 1986, refereeing a total of 186 matches.

He rose quickly from the lower divisions during the 1960s, when most Spanish referees were still known by their first surname, and sometimes also by their first name. The appearance of a young referee, in the newspapers, with the surname Franco gave rise to chronicles and headlines that Francisco Franco, a well-known football fan, was not amused by: Franco is very bad, Franco ruined the match, Everyone blames Franco, were some of the newspapers' headlines.

This type of commentary facilitated criticism of the dictator by some people of the time (or at least it could be understood that way), which provoked the immediate reaction of the dictator, who urged the refereeing bodies and the media to designate referees by both surnames, without exception. Therefore, Spanish referees are now known by their two surnames, paternal and maternal, unlike referees in other countries who are referred to by their first name and surname.

References

1. 1980 Copa del Rey final
2. 1984 Copa del Rey final
3. 1978 FIFA World Cup
4. 1978–79 European Cup
5. 1977 FIFA World Youth Championship
6. 1979–80 European Cup
7. 2024 in Spain
8. 1978–79 UEFA Cup
9. 1973–74 UEFA Cup
10. 1984–85 UEFA Cup
11. 1974–75 UEFA Cup
12. 1977–78 European Cup
13. 1976–77 European Cup
14. 1978 Copa del Rey final
15. 1980–81 European Cup
16. 1985–86 UEFA Cup
17. 1976–77 UEFA Cup
18. 1985–86 European Cup
19. 1984–85 European Cup Winners' Cup
20. Deaths in February 2024