The Spanish Football Federation announced the appointment of referee José Luis Monuera Montero to officiate the match between Barcelona and Atlético Madrid in the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-finals, scheduled to take place next Wednesday at the Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid.

Referee Juan Martínez Munuera will be responsible for VAR during the match, in a direct appointment from the Spanish referees' committee, headed by Luis Medina Cantalejo, which follows different criteria than those used for La Liga appointments.

This will be the third match that Montero officiates for Barcelona this season, having previously managed the Catalan derby against Espanyol which ended 3-1, and the match against Alavés which ended 1-0. He also officiated Atlético Madrid's match against Leganés which ended 3-1 at the Metropolitano Stadium.

Montero has officiated two previous encounters between Barcelona and Atlético Madrid, the first in January 2023 which ended in a 1-0 victory for Barcelona at the Metropolitano Stadium, and the second in November 2020 where Atlético Madrid won 1-0 at home.

Overall, Montero has officiated 28 matches for Barcelona, during which the team achieved 20 victories, 3 draws, and 5 defeats, the latest being a 5-3 loss to Villarreal in January 2024.

As for Atlético Madrid, he has officiated 21 matches, achieving 13 wins, 3 draws, and 5 defeats, the latest being a 1-0 loss to Barcelona in January 2023.

Montero has stirred controversy recently after sending off English star Jude Bellingham for his strong protest, as television footage captured his famous phrase: "Go to hell," which made him the subject of significant criticism.