Spanish FA denies appointment of Hernández Hernández as referee for El Clásico

Tension is rising ahead of the upcoming clásico between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, as reports have sparked widespread debate regarding the identity of the referee who will officiate the match scheduled for October 25 at Spotify Camp Nou.

Radio Marca has revealed Alejandro Hernández Hernández as the referee candidate for the match, but this information was not officially confirmed at the time, amid reports that the appointments committee had not yet held its meeting.

Sources linked to the Spanish Football Federation have clarified that the official announcement regarding the referee for the clásico is subject to the new policy, which stipulates that the names of the referees will be revealed only 24 hours before the matches. This means that discussions about the identity of the referee before that time remain within the realm of leaks and predictions.

The mention of Hernández Hernández has caused discontent among some voices close to Real Madrid due to his history in officiating El Clásico. Conversely, the Spanish referee is also not far from controversy from FC Barcelona, especially due to some decisions that have drawn criticism in previous encounters.

If confirmed, this Clasico will be the seventh officiated by Hernández Hernández between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. In the previous six matches, FC Barcelona achieved 3 victories, while Real Madrid secured only one win, with two matches ending in a draw.

One of the most notable memories of the referee with El Clásico is the April 2017 match that ended with FC Barcelona winning 3-2 at the Santiago Bernabéu, which witnessed Lionel Messi's famous last-minute goal, alongside several controversial decisions during the match.

The match between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid ended in a 2-2 draw in 2018, before returning to the spotlight in the most controversial clásico in recent years, when FC Barcelona won 4-3 amid protests over a missed penalty for the Catalan club after a handball by Aurélien Tchouaméni.

Consequently, the name of the referee remains one of the hot topics ahead of the clásico, as the official announcement of the officiating crew is awaited, especially since any refereeing decision during the match between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid is likely to quickly reopen the debate about the performance of referees.