Referee Jesus Gil Manzano Issues Unusually High Number of Yellow Cards in Hapoel Be'er Sheva Win

Hapoel Be'er Sheva secured a 1-0 victory over Red Star Belgrade on August 4, 2026, in a match officiated by Spanish referee Jesus Gil Manzano, who handed out an unusually high number of yellow cards. Manzano, known for his strict refereeing style, issued nine yellow cards in total, including four to Be'er Sheva players. Notably, Be'er Sheva's Matan Baltaksa was sent off after receiving two consecutive yellow cards in the same sequence of play. The match featured 25 fouls, resulting in an average of 2.7 fouls per yellow card, which is more than double the typical rate of one card per 5-7 fouls seen in most games.

Manzano also initially gave a red card to Red Star's Derek Lokassen, which was later overturned following a VAR review. The referee is recognized as one of Europe's toughest, averaging 5.16 yellow cards per game throughout his career. He has officiated high-profile matches including El Clásico between Barcelona and Real Madrid and issued Lionel Messi's first career red card in 2021. Despite his reputation, Manzano was not selected for the most recent World Cup and is considered to be in decline.

Previously, Manzano has refereed two matches involving Maccabi Tel Aviv, both resulting in wins for the Israeli club. He has also officiated cup finals in Greece and Egypt, building a reputation for strict control to prevent games from getting out of hand. The match's high card count and the notable incident involving Messi in 2018, when Messi refused to shake his hand after a draw against Girona, remain part of Manzano's controversial but respected refereeing legacy.