El Árbitro / The Referee [Spanish]

By Augusto Cruz

Una disecci n al oficio que m s insultos recibe por minuto: el rbitro.

El rbitro es la figura menos comprendida del futbol. Le exigimos velocidad, sabidur a y precisi n absoluta. En un solo silbatazo pasa de h roe a villano, de juez a culpable y de polic a a criminal. Odiado y cuestionado, el rbitro es tan importante como el bal n. El juego no existir a sin este deportista abnegado, muchas veces heroico y otras tantas amenazado por aficionados, delincuentes, pol ticos y, hoy, hasta por computadoras.

En El rbitro. Un dios de noventa minutos, Augusto Cruz traza una historia cultural del arbitraje: de su origen como necesidad reglamentaria a las interrogantes sobre su relevancia en tiempos de las supercomputadoras. A trav s de an cdotas pol micas y personajes emblem ticos, Cruz retrata al rbitro como un dios solitario capaz de someter y juzgar a h roes inmortales del balompi .

Fuera de la cancha, este ensayo es una reflexi n incisiva sobre la autoridad, la justicia y la fe ciega que depositamos en la tecnolog a. Qu significa la imparcialidad cuando cada decisi n es discutida? D nde termina el juicio humano y comienza la m quina? Cu nto dura, en realidad, el poder del colegiado? Con humor y lucidez, este libro nos obliga a preguntarnos: qui n, en su sano juicio, so ar a con ser rbitro?

ENGLISH DESCRIPTION

An analysis of the profession that receives the most insults per minute: the referee.

The referee is the least understood figure in soccer. We demand speed, wisdom, and absolute precision from him. With a single whistle, he goes from hero to villain, from judge to guilty party, and from police officer to criminal. Hated and questioned, the referee is just as important as the ball. The game would not exist without this selfless athlete, who is often heroic and just as often threatened by fans, criminals, politicians, and, today, even by computers.

In The Referee. A Ninety-Minute God, Augusto Cruz traces a cultural history of refereeing: from its origins as a regulatory necessity to questions about its relevance in the age of supercomputers. Through controversial anecdotes and iconic figures, Cruz portrays the referee as a solitary god capable of subduing and judging immortal heroes of soccer.

Off the field, this essay is an incisive reflection on authority, justice, and the blind faith we place in technology. What does impartiality mean when every decision is disputed? Where does human judgment end and the machine begin? How long, in reality, does a referee's power last? With humor and clarity, this book forces us to ask ourselves: Who in their right mind would dream of becoming a referee?

• Format: Paperback
• Language: Spanish
• ISBN: 6073877811
• ISBN13: 9786073877817
• Release Date: December 2026
• Publisher: Grijalbo
• Length: 232 Pages
• Weight: 0.81 lbs.