The Spanish Football Federation announced, on Saturday, the appointment of referee Juan Martinez Munuera to manage the upcoming El Clasico confrontation, Sunday, between Barcelona and Real Madrid at the Camp Nou stadium, in the fifth match led by the Spanish referee between the two rivals, after three of their previous four confrontations ended in victory for the Madrid team.
Martinez Munuera is 44 years old and began his career in the Spanish League in 2013, before joining the list of international referees at FIFA in 2015, while Javier Iglesias Villanueva will be responsible for the video assistant referee technology during the confrontation.
According to “The Athletic” network, the referee, born in the Spanish city of Benidorm, previously officiated the Spanish King’s Cup final between Athletic Bilbao and Barcelona in the 2020-2021 season, in addition to the Spanish Super Cup final between Barcelona and Real Madrid in the 2023-2024 season.
At the international level, Munuera managed a number of matches in the Champions League, the European League, and the European Conference League, in addition to international matches, the most recent of which was the match between Ireland and Israel in the second-level European Nations League, which was held behind closed doors. Despite his experience spanning more than a decade, he has never managed matches in a major international tournament, nor has he received a European assignment during the current season.
His relationship with Barcelona carries a history of arbitration disputes, after the Catalan club submitted an official complaint to the Spanish Federation, last February, following its loss to Atletico Madrid by four goals to nothing in the first leg of the King’s Cup semi-final, a match that Munuera officiated.
The complaint included five axes, most notably the inconsistency of arbitration decisions, the lack of transparency in the use of video technology, and the standards used to summon referees to review cases via the side screen, in addition to the demand for the adoption of a new disciplinary system to punish referees when they commit serious errors or negligence.
That confrontation witnessed the cancellation of a goal by Barcelona defender Pau Cobarci due to offside, after a lengthy review of the video technology, in addition to the expulsion of Eric Garcia in the last minutes, after the yellow card famous by Munuera turned into red after reviewing the situation.
One of Barcelona's most prominent disagreements with the referee dates back to the October 2020 Clasico, when the Catalan team lost to Real Madrid 3-1, after a controversial penalty kick was awarded after Clement Lenglet pulled Sergio Ramos' shirt inside the penalty area.
Munuera did not initially award the violation, before video technology intervened and awarded the penalty kick. This prompted Dutch coach Ronald Koeman, who was leading Barcelona at the time, to criticize the refereeing decisions, considering that video technology was being used to make decisions against his team.
On the other hand, the Spanish referee does not have a calm relationship with Real Madrid, which directed sharp criticism at him on its official television channel on multiple occasions.
In 2023, following his appointment to manage the Copa del Rey Clásico, Real Madrid broadcast a critical report that dealt with previous refereeing positions, recalling the exciting 2-2 draw against Sevilla in the 2020-2021 season, in which the club considered that its decisions affected its chances of competing for the Spanish League title.
In March 2024, Real Madrid filed a complaint against Munuera due to what he described as negligence in drafting the Osasuna match report, after he accused him of not including the insults and offensive chants that Brazilian Vinicius Junior was subjected to from some fans of the opposing team.
The Madrid club's objections are not limited to the arena's governance; His official channel previously criticized Javier Iglesias Villanueva, who will take charge of video technology in the next El Clásico.
Villanueva's name at Real Madrid is linked to two matches that sparked widespread controversy, the first against Valencia in the 2020-2021 season, when three penalty kicks were awarded against the Madrid team, and the second against Espanyol in February 2025, when the video referee did not intervene after Carlos Romero intervened on Kylian Mbappe from behind.
The criticism intensified after Romero later scored the winning goal for Espanyol, 1-0. Real Madrid TV considered that the player's continuation on the field represented a serious refereeing error.
The appointment of Munuera comes in light of the continuing controversy over Spanish arbitration, while the most prominent criticism of the Portuguese Jose Mourinho this season focused on leaking the names of the referees to the media before the official announcement of their assignments.
In August 2025, the Spanish Football Federation announced the adoption of a new mechanism requiring the names of match referees to be revealed before four o’clock in the afternoon on the day before each match, in an attempt to organize the process of announcing arbitration appointments.
Munuera now faces a new test in one of the most followed football matches, amid a history of objections from both sides, and anticipation for his performance in a confrontation that carries great importance in the competition between the two traditional rivals.
Frenchman Victor Wimbanyama, the star of the San Antonio Spurs, led his team to achieve its first victory in the “NBA” this season, after defeating the Dallas Mavericks 122-106, while the Philadelphia 76ers continued their perfect start, despite the absence of LeBron James.
The French giant topped the Spurs scoring list with 23 points and 7 rebounds, giving his team a long-awaited victory, after two consecutive losses to the Oklahoma City Thunder and then the Houston Rockets.
Spurs imposed their advantage since the first half, which they finished with a 68-60 lead, before maintaining their lead during the final quarter. Wimbanyama had sparked the confrontation about 5 minutes before the end, after scoring a crushing basket with one hand, expanding the difference to 112-96.
Regarding the transformation that the match witnessed, the French star said: “We started getting good shots from different positions,” considering that this was the decisive factor in changing the course of the match. Speaking about his team’s faltering start, which was limited to one win versus two losses, despite reaching the final last season, the 22-year-old player explained: “I am learning how to adapt to a shorter preparation period than that enjoyed by other teams, and this constitutes a challenge for me.”
Wembanyama was not alone in his brilliance; Dylan Harper contributed 22 points, while De'Ron Fox and Stephen Castle added 19 points each. Justin Champagne also provided a strong end to the match, scoring 12 points, to lead the Spurs to overcome the Mavericks, who were absent from the giant Cooper Flagg due to a shoulder injury.
On the other hand, the Sixers achieved their third consecutive victory in 3 games, after defeating the Milwaukee Bucks 127-116, without the need to include LeBron James, who is 41 years old and was given a rest. Giant Joel Embiid led the team with an exceptional performance, achieving 3 triple doubles after scoring 28 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. Jaylen Brown also shined for the winning team with 27 points, and Tyrese Maxey scored 26 points, while the young player in Jay Edgecombe stood out by scoring 17 points and 13 rebounds.
Italian Kimi Antonelli, leader of the drivers' category in the Formula 1 World Championship, grabbed the first starting position in the United States Grand Prix, after topping the qualifying trials on Saturday evening.
The Mercedes driver recorded the fastest lap time, recording a time of one minute and 34.035 seconds, in his first fast lap during the final stage of qualifying trials, and none of his competitors were able to break this number in the second attempt.
Dutchman Max Verstappen came in second place, 0.179 seconds behind Antonelli, while his Red Bull teammate, Isaac Hajjar, came third, 0.215 seconds behind the fastest time.
This is the seventh time Antonelli has started from first place during the current season, but it is his first since the Belgian Grand Prix last July.
The Italian driver said: “We got the first starting position, and we will try to win tomorrow.” But Max was very fast, and Isaac had a great performance in qualifying, so it won't be easy. “We will try to start well, get to the front of the race at the first turn, and then impose our rhythm.”
For his part, Verstappen seemed dissatisfied with his performance in qualifying, after he was looking forward to a better result.
The Dutch driver said: “I am not completely satisfied with my performance in the third stage of qualifying, frankly. It was not the result I wanted or expected, but I will accept second place.”
In contrast, his colleague Hajjar expressed his happiness at occupying third place, saying: “I am happy, because things have been very difficult for me since the beginning of the weekend. “I had difficulty controlling the balance of the car, and this morning I was not even able to record a lap time using the soft tires, due to the balance problem.”
Ferrari's result was disappointing, after topping all the free practice sessions, with its drivers, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, contenting themselves with fourth and fifth places, respectively. However, Leclerc maintained his optimism, saying: “The last time I started from fourth here, I won the race,” referring to his victory in 2024.
British George Russell, the other Mercedes driver, finished sixth, ahead of the McLaren duo, Australian Oscar Piastri and British World Championship holder Lando Norris. Racing Bulls drivers Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson completed the top ten.
Antonelli is still able to win the World Drivers' Championship title this weekend, becoming the youngest champion in the history of Formula 1, at the age of 20. But the chances of him winning the title on Sunday seem slim, especially after Verstappen's strong return and his victory in the last two races in Malaysia and Singapore.
Antonelli needs to win the race, with Russell finishing ninth or worse, and Hamilton fifth or worse, to be able to clinch the title on Sunday.
But Antonelli winning his first title in Formula 1 seems to be a matter of time, as he has a 102-point lead over Russell, with six races remaining until the end of the season.
German Sebastian Vettel, the currently retired four-time world champion, holds the record for the youngest driver to win the world championship title, after he won his first title in 2010, at the age of 23 years and 134 days.
