Alejandro Quintero Gonzalez begins international refereeing journey with Barcelona assignment

Alejandro Quintero Gonzalez will take charge of Barcelona’s La Liga opener against Elche on Sunday, just weeks before he is due to become an international referee.

The Spanish refereeing committee has appointed the 33-year-old to oversee the match at the Martinez Valero, with both clubs beginning their league campaigns under his whistle.

Quintero Gonzalez is preparing for an important step in his career after being selected for international status from 1 January. He will join fellow Catalan referee Victor Garcia Verdura on the list of Spanish officials recognised to referee international matches.

Guillermo Cuadra Fernandez has been appointed as the video assistant referee for Sunday’s fixture.

The game will also add another chapter to Quintero Gonzalez’s record with both Barcelona and Elche. It will be the fourth time he has refereed Barcelona since reaching La Liga during the 2024-25 season.

Barcelona have won two of their previous three matches with the referee in charge, although their first experience under him ended in defeat. They were beaten 1-0 by Leganes on matchday 17 of last season, in a game played at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys.

The Catalan club responded with a convincing victory in Quintero Gonzalez’s next Barcelona appointment, defeating Real Sociedad 4-0 on matchday 26 of the same campaign. They also won his most recent match involving the club, beating Mallorca 3-0.

Sunday’s game will be Quintero Gonzalez’s fourth involving Elche as well. The club have avoided defeat in each of the previous three, recording two victories and one draw.

His latest Elche assignment came in last season’s Copa del Rey round of 32, when Elche defeated Eibar 1-0.

The appointment gives the young official a significant test at the beginning of what is expected to be an exceptional season. It will be the first time he has officiated two matches in domestic top-flight competitions during the same period, while he also prepares to begin his career on the international stage at the start of next year.

Quintero Gonzalez’s promotion comes after only one season in La Liga, having made the step up for the 2024-25 campaign. His appointment to a match involving Barcelona and Elche underlines the rapid progress in his refereeing career as he moves towards international recognition.

For Barcelona, the fixture represents the start of a new league season and an opportunity to build on their recent record under Quintero Gonzalez. For Elche, it offers another chance to maintain their unbeaten record in matches controlled by the Andalusian official.

The referee’s upcoming international status will add further attention to an assignment that already carries importance for both clubs. Before he takes that next step, Quintero Gonzalez will begin the route from the Martinez Valero, overseeing one of the opening fixtures of the new La Liga campaign.