Alejandro Quintero Gonzalez will take charge of Barcelona’s La Liga opener against Elche on Sunday, just weeks before the 33-year-old referee begins his career as an international official.
The Spanish refereeing committee has appointed Quintero Gonzalez for the fixture at the Martinez Valero, which will be played as part of the opening round of the Spanish top-flight season.
Quintero Gonzalez is due to receive his international appointment on 1 January, when he will join fellow Catalan referee Victor Garcia Verdura on the list of Spanish officials accredited to referee international matches.
The Barcelona-Elche fixture will also feature Guillermo Cuadra Fernandez as the video assistant referee.
The match represents another significant entry in Quintero Gonzalez’s record with both clubs. It will be the fourth time he has refereed Barcelona since being promoted to La Liga for the 2024-25 season.
Barcelona have won two of their three previous matches under his supervision, with their only defeat coming against Leganes last season. Leganes won 1-0 in the 17th round of the campaign at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys.
Barcelona responded in their next match with Quintero Gonzalez in charge, beating Real Sociedad 4-0 during the 26th round of the same season. The referee’s most recent Barcelona appointment also ended in victory, with the club defeating Mallorca 3-0.
Sunday’s game will likewise be Quintero Gonzalez’s fourth match involving Elche. The club’s previous three fixtures with him as referee produced two wins and one draw.
Elche’s most recent match under Quintero Gonzalez came in last season’s Copa del Rey round of 32, when they beat Eibar 1-0.
The appointment gives the young official an important opportunity at the start of a landmark season. It will be the first time he has overseen two matches in domestic first-tier competitions during the same period, as he prepares to move on to the international stage at the beginning of next year.
At 33, Quintero Gonzalez is entering a new phase of his refereeing career with a high-profile assignment involving Barcelona. His promotion to the international list means Sunday’s meeting with Elche carries importance beyond the opening weekend, marking the latest step before he takes charge of matches outside Spain.
