Barcelona question Hernandez Hernandez appointment for third successive El Clasico

The appointment of Spanish referee Alejandro Hernandez Hernandez to oversee the next El Clasico has prompted an early debate, after reports indicated he will take charge of Barcelona’s meeting with Real Madrid for a third consecutive season.

The match is scheduled for 25 November at Spotify Camp Nou, but the timing of the reported appointment has drawn particular attention from Barcelona-focused newspaper Mundo Deportivo.

In an opinion article, journalist Xavier Bosch questioned why the referee’s name had been disclosed so many weeks before the fixture. He argued that the announcement was surprising while the La Liga season remains in progress, with significant matches still to be played before the meeting with Real Madrid.

Barcelona’s games against Getafe and Real Betis were highlighted as key fixtures that will take place before the next El Clasico.

Bosch also discussed the anticipated response from Real Madrid’s television channel, which he described as “always biased”. The channel has regularly shown footage of refereeing decisions it believes have harmed the Madrid side.

Previous El Clasico decisions recalled

Barcelona supporters quickly revisited Hernandez Hernandez’s two most recent El Clasico appointments, despite their team winning both matches over the past two seasons.

The article focused on the meeting during Hansi Flick’s first season, when Barcelona were close to securing the La Liga title at the Luis Companys Olympic Stadium in Montjuic.

That game ended in a 4-3 victory for Barcelona, but several refereeing decisions became the subject of considerable debate. Among them was the decision not to award a penalty for a handball by Aurelien Tchouameni. The article also referred to a disallowed goal scored by Ferran Torres.

The match was played as Barcelona pursued the league title, with the disputed incidents becoming a major part of the discussion surrounding the fixture.

Real Madrid supporters, however, have different memories of last season’s contest, which Barcelona won 2-0.

According to Bosch’s article, that victory allowed Barcelona to celebrate the La Liga title in front of their own supporters and at the expense of their traditional rivals. The two goals were scored by Marcus Rashford and Ferran Torres, neither of whom is now part of the Barcelona squad, according to the report.

The occasion was described as a severe blow for Real Madrid and their manager at the time, Alvaro Arbeloa.

Bosch concluded by questioning why Hernandez Hernandez had been selected for a third successive season, given the controversy surrounding his previous decisions in El Clasico matches. He also asked whether announcing the appointment so early could increase tension ahead of one of the season’s most prominent fixtures.