From the European touchlines to the VAR rooms, Spain’s officials emerged as the most frequently appointed group during the opening stretch of UEFA Nations League qualifying, with nine referee assignments across 104 matches completed by Tuesday night.
Key takeaways
- Spanish referees received nine match appointments, ahead of Germany’s eight and Italy’s seven.
- Spain accumulated 54 total roles when assistant referees, VAR officials and assistant VAR personnel are included.
- Alejandro Hernández Hernández took charge of two matches during the first three rounds.
- Hernández Hernández officiated Netherlands versus Germany and later Wales versus Norway.
- Spain’s top-flight referees and video officials are due to gather in Sanxenxo on 9 November.
Spanish officials lead the European appointments
The international window, which began on 21 October and concluded on Tuesday, 6 October, opened the Nations League qualifying programme in UEFA territory. Its final outcome will be settled in the next international period, but the early appointments have already placed Spanish refereeing at the head of the continental list.
Spain’s nine referee selections put its officials one ahead of Germany, while Italy ranked third with seven. Germany also recorded 54 appointments across the full officiating teams, matching Spain’s total when assistants and video personnel are counted. Italy’s equivalent figure was 49.
Hernández Hernández, a Spanish referee at the most recent World Cup, was chosen twice in the tournament’s opening three matchdays. His first assignment was the Netherlands-Germany encounter, described as the debut of Xavi Hernández and Jürgen Klopp, before he was appointed for Wales against Norway last Thursday.
José María Sánchez Martínez, Jesús Gil Manzano, Juan Martínez Munuera, José Luis Munuera Montero and Javier Alberola Rojas were also among the Spanish referees selected during the period.
Sanxenxo gathering awaits in November
The next significant date for Spain’s refereeing department comes on 9 November, when the season’s second training gathering is scheduled in the Galician town of Sanxenxo. The first meeting took place in pre-season, before the domestic campaign began.
First-division referees, VAR officials and the specialist AVAR group from the top category will report on the Monday, using the following FIFA international break for the session. Officials from the second division will follow afterwards.
The programme includes the physical examinations required for referees seeking to retain their eligibility to officiate in the top flight.
