Juan Martinez Munuera has entered the race to referee Sunday’s El Clasico between Real Madrid and Barcelona, with Alberola Rojas still regarded as the leading candidate for the fixture.
Mundo Deportivo reported that the appointments committee – made up of Fran Soto, Gregorio Manzano and Fernando Teixeira Vitienes – had settled on Alberola Rojas at a meeting on Monday. However, the same newspaper reported on Thursday that Martinez Munuera had since joined the shortlist.
The referee’s appointment is expected to be confirmed by the technical refereeing committee at midday on Saturday.
Martinez Munuera is in his 12th season officiating in La Liga and has held FIFA international referee status since 1 January 2015. If selected, Sunday’s match would be his sixth La Liga game of the current campaign.
This season he has already taken charge of Barcelona’s 3-1 victory over Sevilla and Real Madrid’s 4-0 win against Malaga.
A record favouring Real Madrid
The appointment would give Martinez Munuera his fifth El Clasico. His four previous meetings between the Spanish giants have produced three Real Madrid victories and one win for Barcelona.
His most recent El Clasico came in the Spanish Super Cup final in January 2024, when Real Madrid won 4-1.
Before that, he refereed the second leg of the 2022-2023 Copa del Rey semi-final. Real Madrid won that match 4-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Barcelona’s only victory under Martinez Munuera in the fixture came in the 29th round of La Liga during the 2021-2022 season. On 20 March 2022, Barcelona won 4-0, giving Xavi Hernandez his first major victory over Real Madrid as the club’s manager.
The referee’s first El Clasico was played at Camp Nou on 24 October 2020. Real Madrid won 3-1 in a match remembered for the controversial penalty awarded to Sergio Ramos.
Martinez Munuera’s record with both clubs
Martinez Munuera has refereed 37 La Liga matches involving Barcelona. The club have won 24 of those games, drawn six and lost seven, including two defeats by Real Madrid.
He has officiated 46 La Liga matches involving Real Madrid. The capital club have recorded 30 wins, nine draws and seven defeats in those games.
Real Madrid are the team he has refereed most often in La Liga.
