Danger for Barça? The RFEF appoints a Madrid native to direct the duel against Alavés

FC Barcelona already knows the referee for its next EA Sports LaLiga match, to be played next Sunday in Vitoria against Alavés (4:00 p.m. CEST). The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) appointed Miguel Ángel Ortiz Arias as the main judge for the clash in Mendizorroza, while José Luis Munuera Montero will be in charge of the VAR. 

The Madrid judge has been in charge in the top category of Spanish football since 2021/22. He had previously spent two years in the Second Division and, at the moment, has accumulated 57 refereed duels in LaLiga EA Sports at the beginning of his fourth campaign in the tournament. In total there are 18 sanctioned penalties and 14 expulsions, in addition to 242 yellow cards. With Barça, the referee only has one precedent, in a match played in February of this year.

A puncture at home, the only precedent for Barça with Ortiz Arias

Ortiz Arias was in charge of directing the Barça-Granada match played on February 11, a match where the team led by Xavi Hernández barely managed to save a draw at the end (3-3) against one of the teams that was relegated in 2023/ 24. The Madrid referee only admonished Fermín López for the culés, in the 38th minute. The Nasrid team, for its part, received three yellow cards in a very intense duel that ended with 22 fouls committed (13 were blaugranas).

The 39-year-old referee has received some criticism for his attitude on the field, which has been called "arrogant" by some footballers. In addition, the judge has been subjected to reviews on several occasions by the Technical Referee Committee (CTA) for pushing a Celta player last season. For Barça, the visit to Alavés seems complicated, since the Vitorians are undefeated at home this season (2 wins and 1 draw).