Spain’s first Clásico of the season will be played against a backdrop of fractured relations, referee controversy and unusually high scrutiny on the official in the middle. José Luis Martínez Munuera has been appointed for Barcelona against Real Madrid, taking charge of the fixture for a fifth time in a contest expected to test both his authority and experience.
An appointment for a combustible occasion
The 44-year-old from Alicante was selected by the Technical Committee of Referees for a match shaped by the continuing fallout from the Negreira case, which has severely damaged the relationship between the two clubs.
Recent criticism of Spanish refereeing has added to the pressure. Mourinho has attacked the officiating structure in recent weeks, particularly following the Madrid derby, while the committee’s decision to use Ortiz Arias for that match prompted further debate. Ortiz Arias does not hold the UEFA status required to referee European competitions.
- Martínez Munuera has been a Primera División referee since 2013.
- He has held international status since 2015.
- This will be his sixth match of the current season.
- His earlier appointments this term include Real Madrid’s 4-0 win over Málaga and Barcelona’s 3-1 victory at Sevilla.
- He is a police officer currently on leave, a background that reinforces his reputation as an authoritative official.
Those previous fixtures offer little comparison with a Clásico. The committee has opted for an official accustomed to managing difficult occasions, with the game set to be far more demanding than his other domestic assignments this season.
A history of decisive Barcelona-Real Madrid meetings
Martínez Munuera’s four previous Clásicos have all produced emphatic results, and Real Madrid have won three of them.
- In 2020-21, Real Madrid won 3-1 at Camp Nou. Barcelona objected to a VAR-reviewed penalty given for Clément Lenglet’s holding of Sergio Ramos.
- A year later, Barcelona won 4-0 at the Bernabéu with Martínez Munuera again in charge.
- He refereed the 2022-23 Copa del Rey return leg, when Real Madrid recorded a 4-0 win.
- His most recent Clásico came in the 2023-24 Spanish Super Cup final, a 4-1 Real Madrid victory.
The penalty call in the 2020-21 meeting deepened Barcelona’s doubts about the referee, who had already drawn criticism from the club after earlier matches. Yet Madrid have also repeatedly challenged his decisions over the years, and at one stage lodged a complaint against him with the Disciplinary Committee.
Both clubs arrive with positive overall records
Despite their respective grievances, both sides have collected more wins than setbacks under Martínez Munuera.
| Club | Wins | Draws | Defeats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Real Madrid | 30 | 9 | 7 |
| Barcelona | 24 | 6 | 4 |
But past numbers will offer little shelter once the teams meet. With the Negreira case still poisoning the atmosphere and the refereeing debate at full volume, Martínez Munuera’s fifth Clásico places him at the centre of one of Spanish football’s most closely watched nights.
