Referee named for Copa del Rey Final between Real Madrid and Barcelona

The Spanish Football Federation have announced that Ricardo De Burgos Bengoechea will be in charge of Saturday’s Copa del Rey Final between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona.

Per the Spanish Football Federation’s release:
The Technical Committee of Referees of the Royal Spanish Football Federation has appointed Ricardo De Burgos Bengoechea as the main referee for the Copa del Rey final. This will be the first Copa final for the referee from Biscay, who was promoted to the First Division in the 2015 season and became an international referee in 2018.

The Copa final will be De Burgos Bengoechea’s fourth clásico. The first was in 2017 during the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup, when it was played with a different format. The other two took place in 2023, in the final of the Spanish Super Cup held in Saudi Arabia and in a league match in Barcelona that same season.

Meanwhile, Pablo González Fuertes will serve as VAR. The Asturian referee was promoted to the First Division in 2017, where he has officiated up to 153 matches. This will be his first final as a video assistant referee.

De Burgos Bengoechea is a somewhat controversial choice, given that he has never been considered one of the best referees in Spanish football. Saturday’s Final will definitely be a very intense and physical game, so De Burgos Bengoechea will have his hands full.