LaLiga assigns referees for final matchday

The Royal Spanish Football Federation's Technical Committee of Referees published the officiating assignments for LaLiga's final round on May 22, putting names to the matches that will close the 2025-26 season. MARCA said the appointments cover the games with relegation and European places still at stake, while LaLiga's official fixtures page lists the referees, kickoff times and broadcasters for Matchday 38. Nine of the 10 fixtures are scheduled for Saturday, May 23, at 21:00 local time, according to LaLiga, with Villarreal against Atlético de Madrid set for Sunday, May 24, at 21:00. The concentration of kickoffs is standard on a final matchday when multiple positions remain unresolved. ### Which body made the appointments, and when did it publish them? The RFEF's Comité Técnico de Árbitros, or Technical Committee of Referees, posted the Matchday 38 designations on May 22. (marca.com) The federation's refereeing pages describe the release as the list of officials who will direct Jornada 38 of the 2025-26 season. MARCA reported on the same day that the committee had named the referees for "the most decisive moment of the season," with Europe and relegation still in play. (laliga.com) The newspaper said the team led by Fran Soto chose referees it viewed as among the strongest performers this season for the most important matches. ### Which final-day matches are carrying the most weight? (rfef.es) MARCA said the appointments matter most for matches tied to relegation and the remaining European implications. LaLiga's official Matchday 38 page shows several Saturday games involving clubs around those parts of the table, including Girona against Elche, Alavés against Rayo Vallecano, Espanyol against Real Sociedad, Getafe against Osasuna and Celta against Sevilla. (marca.com) Al Aire Libre, cited in the source briefing, described the survival race as still open with two relegation places in play and singled out Elche's final-round match as decisive for avoiding the drop. That leaves the referee assignments under added scrutiny because all of those games will unfold at the same hour. ### Who was assigned to Real Madrid against Athletic Club? LaLiga's official fixtures page lists Juan Martínez Munuera as the referee for Real Madrid against Athletic Club. (marca.com) The match is scheduled for Saturday, May 23, at 21:00 at the Santiago Bernabéu and is listed for broadcast on Movistar LALIGA. AS, in its match preview, also said the Bernabéu game would be shown on Movistar Plus platforms and named several Athletic absentees, including Yuri, Egiluz and Nico Williams. (laliga.com) The outlet framed the match as one of the headline fixtures of the round. ### What does the official list show for the rest of Saturday? LaLiga lists Jesús Gil Manzano for Alavés against Rayo Vallecano, Mateo Busquets Ferrer for Real Betis against Levante, Francisco José Hernández Maeso for Celta against Sevilla, José Luis Munuera Montero for Espanyol against Real Sociedad, Alejandro Quintero González for Getafe against Osasuna, José María Sánchez Martínez for Mallorca against Real Oviedo, Adrián Cordero Vega for Valencia against Barcelona, and Alejandro José Hernández Hernández for Girona against Elche. (as.com) (laliga.com) The same page identifies the broadcast split, with DAZN carrying several of the simultaneous matches and Movistar LALIGA carrying others. That matters for viewers following the relegation and European races across multiple grounds. ### Where can readers track the final appointments and kickoff details? LaLiga's Matchday 38 results page carries the fixture list, kickoff times, referees and operators for each game, and the RFEF refereeing pages host the CTA designations published on May 22. (laliga.com) The last match on the schedule is Villarreal against Atlético de Madrid on Sunday, May 24, at 21:00, according to LaLiga's calendar.