TVE Director Sacked After Copa Del Rey Spanish Anthem Fiasco

Barcelona and Athletic fans may or may not have whistled during the Spanish national anthem, but viewers in Spain did not see what happened and someone has paid for it with their job...

Not showing the Spanish national anthem being played before the Copa del Rey final has cost TVE's sporting director his job after the station was stunned at the mistake.



The national channel, Television Espanola, went over to the Mestalla before the tune was played, but as it started they went to their reporters in Barcelona and Bilbao to see the fans gathered there.



Many critics believed it was because the fans of Barca and Athletic whistled during the anthem and TVE did not want to broadcast it as a result.



That was not the case, however, and it was an error of judgement that has cost TVE's sporting director, Julian Reyes, his job as he was sacked on Thursday morning.



The Board of Directors of the channel removed him from his position citing a "serious error" before the cup final in not showing the anthem and Reyes bore the responsibility.



Apologising during half-time of the game, TVE then showed the tune at the break with the whistles hardly audible as the players lined up in front of King Juan Carlos I.



TVE director Javier Pons explained why the decision was made and "categorically" denied that the channel deliberately switched away from Mestalla because of the whistles.



"What happened was not in line with the principles that are in place to report objectively and in full what goes on on national television and that is what we seek each and every day here," Pons added.



Lucas Brown, Goal.com

