Who is José María Sánchez Martínez, referee for PSG vs Liverpool, Champions League quarterfinal 1st leg?

Spanish referee José María Sánchez Martínez will be the man in the middle when Paris Saint-Germain take on Liverpool in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals at Parc des Princes on Wednesday.

The 42-year-old, who hails from the city of Lorca in southeast Spain, will take charge of his fifth Champions League game of the season. His most recent appointment in the competition came in Atalanta’s 4-1 victory over Borussia Dortmund in the knockout phase playoffs.

Sánchez Martínez’s history with PSG and Liverpool

Sánchez Martínez has officiated 19 Champions League games in his career, which has led to his path crossing with PSG and Liverpool before. Past results suggest the Premier League club are much more likely to see his presence as a good omen.

The Spaniard has overseen two Liverpool victories, a 3-0 group stage win at Ajax in October 2022, followed by a 5-1 victory away to Sparta Prague in the Europa League round of 16 in March 2024.

By contrast, PSG lost the only time they shared a field with Sánchez Martínez, a 3-2 defeat to Aston Villa in the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinals in April 2025.

Experience and recent matches

Sánchez Martínez, who began officiating in LaLiga in 2015 and became a FIFA-listed referee two years later, has overseen 23 fixtures in total this season. More than half of those, 12, have been in LaLiga. He was most recently in charge of Real Madrid’s 1-0 defeat to Mallorca on Saturday.

According to stats website Whoscored.com, the official has shown an average of just over four yellow cards per match this season and has handed out eight red cards. That total includes three in the Atalanta vs Dortmund clash in Bergamo.

The Spanish referee has also officiated two Spanish Super Cup finals, in 2018 and 2020, and one Copa del Rey final in 2023, all of which were won by Real Madrid.

Who is the VAR for PSG vs Liverpool?

Sánchez Martínez will lead an all-Spanish refereeing team in Paris and will be assisted on the field by Raúl Cabañero and Iñigo Prieto. Juan Martínez Munuera will serve as the fourth official.

The VAR for PSG vs Liverpool will be Carlos del Cerro Grande, with Guillermo Cuadra Fernández acting as assistant VAR.

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