Salvador Lax Franco

Salvador Lax Franco is a Spanish football referee born on January 22, 1991 in Murcia. He began his refereeing career in lower categories and, after nine seasons in the Segunda División B, he was promoted to the Segunda División in the 2023-2024 season. 

An outstanding anecdote in his recent career occurred on November 17, 2024, during the match between Real Zaragoza and Málaga CF at La Romareda. In the 35th minute, Lax Franco expelled Málaga's player, Kevin Medina, with a straight red card for a tackle with excessive force on an opponent. Despite VAR intervention, the referee upheld his decision, leaving Málaga with ten players for much of the match, which ended in a 0-0 draw. 

Lax Franco is known for his strict enforcement of the rules, as reflected in his average number of cards per match. This firmness has generated some controversies; for example, coach Pepe Mel expressed his dissatisfaction with his performance in a match, stating that certain refereeing decisions had harmed his team.