Barcelona’s renewed Spotify Camp Nou is preparing for another Clásico, with the matchday 10 meeting between Barcelona and Real Madrid arriving under the familiar glare of refereeing scrutiny. Juan Martínez Munuera will take charge on the pitch, while Javier Iglesias Villanueva will oversee video review duties.
Appointments for the Camp Nou meeting
- The referee appointments were confirmed only hours before Barcelona and Real Madrid were due to meet in the Spanish league.
- Martínez Munuera was selected as the main referee for what will be his fifth Clásico.
- Javier Iglesias Villanueva was named as the VAR official, taking part in a Barcelona-Real Madrid fixture of this scale for the first time.
The choice of Martínez Munuera has drawn attention not only because of the pressure surrounding the fixture, but also because his four previous Clásicos have produced a notably Madrid-heavy record.
| Year | Competition | Result | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | La Liga | Barcelona 1-3 Real Madrid | Real Madrid |
| 2022 | La Liga | Real Madrid 0-4 Barcelona | Barcelona |
| 2023 | Copa del Rey semi-final second leg | Barcelona 0-4 Real Madrid | Real Madrid |
| 2024 | Spanish Super Cup final | Real Madrid 4-1 Barcelona | Real Madrid |
That leaves Real Madrid with three victories and Barcelona with one from the Clásicos officiated by Martínez Munuera. Recent complaints from both camps during league action have added another layer of tension before the October showdown.
VAR official brings his own Madrid controversy
Iglesias Villanueva has not previously worked a Clásico of this magnitude, but his VAR record includes a contentious episode involving Real Madrid in the 2024-25 season.
- During Espanyol’s match against Real Madrid, Carlos Romero made a forceful challenge on Kylian Mbappé.
- Iglesias Villanueva did not recommend that on-field referee Muñiz Ruiz review the incident.
- The decision remained a source of dispute for Madrid after the match.
Negreira-linked coaching issue
The appointment of Martínez Munuera also revives discussion around his connection to the family of José María Enríquez Negreira, the former vice-president of Spain’s Technical Committee of Referees.
Martínez Munuera’s brother, Miguel, has said that the referee was among a number of officials who used private, telephone-based refereeing coaching provided by Javier Enríquez Romero, Negreira’s son. The sessions were said to have cost €200 each and to have been offered between 1994 and 2018.
Madrid supporters have pointed to that history despite Martínez Munuera’s Clásico results favouring their side. With Barcelona and Real Madrid returning to the Camp Nou stage, every major call will be examined closely from the opening whistle.
