Barcelona and Real Madrid supporters rarely find themselves on the same side of an argument. The reported appointment of Alejandro Hernández Hernández for La Liga’s biggest fixture of the autumn is one of those moments.
The 43-year-old from the Canary Islands is the official most likely to take charge of Matchday 10 at Camp Nou on Sunday, October 25, according to Sports Illustrated. Formal confirmation is being held back in line with the Spanish federation’s policy of naming referees only 24 hours before kick-off.
That silence has not stopped the pushback. The grievances just happen to point in opposite directions.
A 3-2-1 record that cuts both ways
Hernández Hernández has officiated six Clásicos. Three ended in Barcelona wins, two in draws and only one in a Real Madrid victory – back in 2015-16. Across his full La Liga sample, the balance is similarly tilted: Barcelona have won 26 of the 42 matches he has officiated for them (with 12 draws and four defeats), while Real Madrid have taken 21 of 37 (six draws, ten losses).
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For Madrid supporters, the numbers alone are enough. Marca radio presenter Raúl Varela did not wait for the official announcement to object.
“I don’t like him as a referee, and I don’t like his record in Clasico matches. I see it as completely unnecessary. I think it is a wrong decision,” Varela said on the station’s “La Tribu” programme, naming Juan Martínez Munuera and De Burgos Bengoetxea as preferred alternatives.
The flashpoint from May 10
Madrid’s complaints keep circling back to one moment. In the 53rd minute of Barcelona’s 2-0 win over Real Madrid on May 10, 2026, Jude Bellingham went to ground after contact from Eric García’s elbow inside the penalty area. Hernández Hernández waved play on; the video assistants did not intervene.
Álvaro Arbeloa spoke from the Real Madrid side once the match had finished.
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“Yes, it seemed very clear to me that there was an elbow strike, and well… of course, I don’t know; we’ll have to ask why the video technology didn’t intervene,” he told reporters.
Barcelona is not celebrating either
The Catalan side is not treating the appointment as a gift. Ahead of the May Clásico, Barcelona supporters also expressed collective concern at Hernández Hernández taking charge, pointing to their own grievances with his record over the years – a historical unease the Catalan fanbase has not shed.
The dissent is not confined to supporters. Goal.com has cited the Archivo VAR account, which specialises in refereeing matters, as denying the Radio Marca report and stating that Hernández Hernández is not among the names being considered for this encounter.
Kick-off at Camp Nou is on Sunday, October 25, with the referee’s name due to be made public 24 hours earlier.
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