LALIGA EA SPORTS
Who is César Soto Grado, the referee for the Real Betis - Real Madrid game on match day 16 of LaLiga?
Here is all the information on the man with the whistle for the game between Real Madrid and Real Betis in LaLiga EA Sports.
Real Betis take on Real Madrid at the Estadio Benito Villamarín on Saturday 9 December (10.15 a.m. ET / 7.15 a.m. PT.) in a clash that could see Los Blancos continue their march at the top of the LaLiga table.
Ahead of the game, eyebrows were raised at the choice of referee for the fixture, with César Soto Grado an official with a certain history with the side from the capital. The refereeing decision adds an extra spice to an already tricky tie for Carlo Ancelotti and his XI, as former Real Madrid Isco is leading Betis through a season where the European dream is certainly alive.
Who is César Soto Grado, the referee for the Real Betis - Real Madrid game?
Soto Grado is a 43-year-old from Ávila in central Spain, just to the west of Madrid. He has been a top division referee since 2019, but prior to that he spent time in both Spain’s Segunda División and Segunda B.
In the 2018-19 season, just ahead of his promotion to the top tier of football in the country, he won the Trofeo Vicente Acebedo, awarded to the best referee in the league, for his performances in the Segunda.
The referee, however, won’t be on Real Madrid’s Christmas card list as the club do not have many happy memories of a recent game in which he was in charge. The players complained during a fixture against Osasuna that he had, in their opinion, not added on a sufficient amount of added time. “You have had 90 minutes to score, so don’t come at me now complaining about added time” was the reported response from the official, with Carlo Ancelotti storming onto the pitch after the game for an explanation.
Carlo Ancelotti talks about “difficult game” against Betis
“It’s a difficult game, Betis do well at home”, said Carlo Ancelotti on the LaLiga fixture, “they are solid and well organised. The objective is to get the best out of our players and win. We are confident.”
On Isco, Real Betis’ star performer, Ancelotti said that “he’s playing very well. I’m very happy for him as he brings something to football. He’s had some difficult moments, but he’s come through. We have to control him well.”