Spain’s first openly gay referee has quit football, saying he “cannot take any more,” after being abused during a match.
Jesús Tomillero took up officiating at the age of 11 and had been refereeing in the Andalucían regional league towards the bottom of the Spanish football system.
His decision to leave the sport, having publicly come out as gay just over a year ago, comes after receiving a barrage of insults and homophobic remarks after awarding a penalty during a game on Saturday.
Tomillero made his sexuality public knowledge last March after he made a formal complaint against a kit man, which resulted in a nine-game ban and a fine for the abuser, which the official claimed was “absolutely incredible”.
Since then, according to the official, he has been abused frequently, with the last straw coming this past weekend.
He said that his decision to give a spot-kick in a match between Portuense and San Fernando Isleño led to an away fan shout: “That’s that p**f who was on the telly.”
To add further insult, Tomillero was then subjected to more public humiliation when the crowd laughed in response. The abuse prompted him to quit the sport with immediate effect.
Tomillero has presented an official complaint in the hope of action being taken, and has also been backed by local political parties in La Línea, near Gibraltar.
The referee explains that despite having been backed by La Liga referees, he has been ignored by the Andalucian federation since he came out last year.
