The Technical Committee of Referees has announced on Thursday the assignments for the 28th round of La Liga EA Sports 2024-25. Basque referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea has been chosen to officiate Sunday’s top-of-the-table clash between Atletico and Barcelona. He repeats after officiating the first-leg clash in December, which the Rojiblancos won at Montjuic.
Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea has been appointed to referee this Sunday’s Atletico Madrid-Barcelona clash, the star match of the 28th round of La Liga EA Sports between the third and first-placed teams.
De Burgos repeats from the first round, as he was also in charge of the 1-2 for the ‘Colchoneros’ in Montjuic on 21 December. That match, corresponding to the 18th matchday, saw Simeone’s side come from behind. Pedri scored in the first half, De Paul equalised on the hour mark and Sorloth won it in the 26th minute.
De Burgos Bengoetxea will be assisted by Javier Iglesias Villanueva and Antonio Luis Cerezo Parfenof, while the assistants will be Iker de Francisco Grijalba and Asier Perez de Mendiola Gonzalez and the fourth official will be Gorka Etayo Herrera.
The 38-year-old Basque referee has refereed Barca 25 times in the Primera Division with a record of 22 wins for the Azulgranas, one draw and just two defeats: against Celta in 2021 (1-2) and the aforementioned defeat last December, in the first leg of the first leg.
Atletico also have a favourable record in 31 LaLiga matches with De Burgos at the helm, with 22 wins, seven draws and two defeats.
Meanwhile, the other match of note in the title race, Villarreal-Real Madrid, will be officiated by Jesus Gil Manzano of the Extremadura Committee, with Guillermo Cuadra Fernandez and Adrián Cordero Vega on VAR.