Mateo Busquets Ferrer to referee Real Madrid v Real Sociedad amid past controversy

The Spanish Football Federation’s refereeing committee has appointed Mateo Busquets Ferrer to take charge of Real Madrid’s La Liga meeting with Real Sociedad tomorrow, a decision that has attracted attention because of the criticism he received after refereeing the recent Madrid derby.

Busquets Ferrer was the official for Real Madrid’s 2026 Spanish Super Cup semi-final against Atletico Madrid, a match that featured one of the tournament’s most disputed refereeing incidents.

Early in that game, the referee awarded Real Madrid a free-kick after Jude Bellingham went down following a challenge from Conor Gallagher. Federico Valverde then converted the set-piece with an outstanding strike to give Real Madrid the lead.

Atletico Madrid protested the decision, arguing that Gallagher had not committed an offence worthy of a free-kick. Their view was supported by former Spanish referee Iturralde Gonzalez, who said on 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 contact with Eduardo Camavinga. Busquets Ferrer decided not to award a spot-kick and allowed play to continue.

His performance also drew criticism from refereeing analysts and media outlets. The website Archivo VAR gave the official a below-par score of 3 out of 10, questioning both his management of the match and the consistency of his approach to fouls and disciplinary decisions.

Spanish newspaper AS offered a separate assessment, saying Real Madrid had little reason to complain about the referee’s performance. The publication argued that several of Busquets Ferrer’s decisions benefited Real Madrid, including the free-kick award that preceded Valverde’s goal.

El Nacional took a stronger position, describing the match as one marked by “refereeing controversy” and bias in favour of Real Madrid. The newspaper said the foul awarded before Valverde’s goal did not exist and also criticised a number of Busquets Ferrer’s other decisions during the fixture.

The referee now returns to officiate Real Madrid against Real Sociedad, with his performance expected to be closely followed after the Madrid derby placed him at the centre of debate over refereeing standards.

The appointment comes as Real Madrid prepare for another league fixture in which the focus will not only be on the teams and their players, but also on how Busquets Ferrer handles challenges, free-kicks, penalties and disciplinary incidents.

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