Referee Appointed for Barcelona vs Rayo Vallecano in La Liga

The refereeing committee has announced the appointment of Francisco José Hernández Maeso to officiate the match between Barcelona and Rayo Vallecano, scheduled for Monday, August 31, as part of the third round of the 2026/2027 La Liga season.

The match is set to be held at Camp Nou at 10:30 PM Cairo time, with Ivan Masso and Ibrahim Perez assisting, while Alvaro Canovas will serve as the fourth official.

Raúl Martín González will take charge of VAR duties, with Alejandro Muñiz assisting him.

Hernandez Maiso made his La Liga debut on August 12, 2023, during the match between Real Sociedad and Girona, which ended in a 1-1 draw.

Before his ascent to the first division, the referee managed 63 matches in the second division, along with 10 seasons in the third division.

Hernandez Maeso has officiated four matches for Barcelona before, with the Catalan team winning all of them. The first encounter was against Unionistas Salamanca in the Round of 16 of the Copa del Rey in 2024, which ended with Barcelona winning 3-1.

In the previous season, he officiated two matches for Barcelona in La Liga, with the team winning the first against Real Betis 5-3, and the second against Getafe 2-0. He also managed the match against Leganés, which ended in a 1-0 victory.

On the other hand, Rayo Vallecano has faced referee Hernández Maeso in 11 matches, achieving only three victories, alongside one draw and seven defeats.

The last match officiated by the referee for Rayo Vallecano was on January 14, when the team lost to Alavés 2-0 in the Copa del Rey.

This will be the fifth match that Hernandez Maeso officiates for Barcelona, and the twelfth that he leads for Rayo Vallecano.