A last-minute injury forces the RFEF to adjust the officiating crew less than a day before Supercopa final
The Supercopa de España final between Barcelona and Real Madrid will go ahead as planned on Sunday in Jeddah, but not with the refereeing team that was initially announced. Less than a day before kickoff, the Spanish Football Federation confirmed a late change caused by injury.
José Luis Munuera Montero remains the referee in charge of el Clásico, a decision that had already been made public earlier in the week. The Andalusian official, 42, will oversee a match that comes with its usual scrutiny, plus the additional charge due to it being a final.
Rather, it’s the fourth official who has changed. Adrián Cordero Vega, originally appointed to the position, has been withdrawn after suffering physical problems during pre-match checks. According to the federation, he was deemed unfit to take part in the closely-watched fixture.
Alejandro Quintero González has been named as his replacement. He has some degree of experience in this, having already served as fourth official in Barcelona’s Supercopa semifinal against Athletic Club. He was also involved earlier in the competition as a VAR assistant.
The rest of the team remains unchanged. Íñigo Prieto and Antonio Martínez will run the lines, while Adrián Díaz has been assigned as fifth official. VAR duties will be led by Daniel Trujillo Suárez, joined by David Gálvez Rascón and Víctor García Verdura.
Munuera Montero’s record with both finalists has resurfaced in the buildup. Barcelona have won 18 of the 28 matches he has refereed, drawing 4 and losing 6. Real Madrid’s numbers stand at 16 wins, 2 draws and 4 defeats from 22 games, a slightly stronger success rate that has not gone unnoticed in Spanish media coverage.
Category: General Sports
