Mateo Busquets Ferrer appointed for Real Madrid’s meeting with Real Sociedad

Mateo Busquets Ferrer has been appointed to referee Real Madrid’s La Liga match against Real Sociedad tomorrow, bringing renewed attention to the Spanish official after his controversial performance in the Spanish Super Cup earlier this year.

The appointment was confirmed by the Refereeing Committee of the Royal Spanish Football Federation. Busquets Ferrer’s selection comes only a few months after he took charge of Real Madrid’s 2026 Spanish Super Cup semi-final against Atletico Madrid, a match which featured one of the tournament’s most disputed refereeing decisions.

In the opening stages of that game, Busquets Ferrer awarded Real Madrid a free-kick after Jude Bellingham went down following contact with Conor Gallagher. Federico Valverde converted the set-piece with an outstanding finish to put Real Madrid ahead.

Atletico Madrid strongly protested the decision, arguing that Gallagher had not committed a foul and that the free-kick should not have been awarded. Former Spanish referee Iturralde Gonzalez supported Atletico’s interpretation, telling Cadena SER: “There was no foul.”

The controversy continued later in the match when Atletico appealed for a penalty after Giuliano Simeone fell inside the area following a challenge involving Eduardo Camavinga. Busquets Ferrer decided not to award a spot-kick and instructed play to continue.

His overall display also drew criticism from refereeing analysts and sections of the Spanish media. The website Archivo VAR gave Busquets Ferrer a rating of 3 out of 10, describing his performance as below standard and questioning both his handling of certain fouls and his approach to issuing cards.

AS offered a separate assessment, noting that Real Madrid had little reason to complain about the referee’s decisions. The newspaper argued that several calls worked in the club’s favour, including the free-kick awarded before Valverde’s goal.

El Nacional adopted a stronger tone, saying the match had been marked by “refereeing controversy” and alleged bias in Real Madrid’s favour. It described the incident leading to Valverde’s goal as a foul that did not exist and also criticised other decisions made by Busquets Ferrer during the derby.

Busquets Ferrer will now return to officiate Real Madrid, this time against Real Sociedad, with his performance expected to attract particular scrutiny. His appointment comes after the Atletico Madrid match placed him at the centre of the refereeing debate surrounding the latest Madrid derby.

The discussion around the appointment has also extended to Kooora’s forums, where users can debate football news and related issues in greater depth.