Overview
- Radio Marca reported on Wednesday that Alejandro Hernández Hernández would referee the October 25 Clasico, a claim that was repeated by other outlets and prompted immediate criticism from Madrid‑aligned commentators.
- Hours later the refereeing account Archivo VAR denied Hernández Hernández was among the options and said the appointments committee had not met, casting doubt on the initial report.
- Sport contacted federation sources who confirmed a new policy to announce referee names only 24 hours before fixtures, so the Spanish Football Federation had not officially named the Clasico official as of the latest reports.
- Hernández Hernández has refereed six previous Clasicos and was linked to several disputed incidents in 2017, 2018 and the 2025 title‑deciding match, which helps explain the swift, partisan reaction to his reported appointment.
- The dispute shows how early leaks and partisan media campaigns can shape pressure around officials and signals that the formal announcement, due one day before the match, will be closely watched for signs the federation is resisting outside influence.