The strange ban on Jonathan Linares by a women's referee

San Cristóbal defender Linares banned for three matches after a dispute with a women's match referee while warming up with his youth coaching role.

Jonathan Linares, a defender for San Cristóbal who also coaches Pomar's youth D team, missed this weekend's 5-1 win over Martinenc due to a three-match suspension — but not for an on-field incident.

The ban stems from an altercation with referee Arnau Andrés Rodríguez during a women's Segunda División match between Pomar and Santa Perpètua. While Linares was warming up his youth players on the pitch, a ball rolled onto the field from the women's match. The referee told Linares and his players to leave the field until the match began. Linares objected, arguing it was unsafe for the young players not to warm up properly and made a comment comparing the referee to Mateu Lahoz.

After the women's match ended, the referee — who had Linares's name from the next fixture's paperwork — documented the incident in the match report, claiming Linares looked at him threateningly and threw a pen at him. Linares disputes this, saying he threw the pen because it wasn't working in the rain, not at the referee. Pomar has appealed the suspension, hoping to reduce it so Linares can play in their next match against Montañesa.