Real Madrid vs Barcelona Another big game for Sanchez Martinez

Jose Maria Sanchez Martinez is enjoying quite a career as a referee, with the man from Lorca set to oversee his second Clasico just two and a half years after his LaLiga debut, a match between Real Sociedad and Sporting Gijon in August of 2015.

The 34-year-old was made an international referee a year after his promotion to LaLiga and then oversaw his first Clasico in the 2017 Supercopa de Espana second leg, the 2-0 victory for Real Madrid.

He is athletic and always well prepared, like the rest of the LaLiga referees, and already he has shown that he is up to the task, showing personality in the Supercopa Clasico he oversaw, while avoiding the headlines - unlike his colleague Ricardo de Burgos Bengoechea, who was pushed by Cristiano Ronaldo in the first leg.

It's clear, then, that he has become one of the Spanish FA's most trusted officials, as he wouldn't have been assigned to back-to-back Real Madrid vs Barcelona matches otherwise.

Pierluigi Collina is also said to be a fan, which explains his presence in UEFA's elite programme.