LALIGA
Who is José María Sánchez Martínez, the referee for Barcelona vs Real Betis? LaLiga 2023-24
Barcelona, who take on Betis at home, are currently fourth in LaLiga, with 10 points from four games.
José María Sánchez Martínez will referee Saturday’s LaLiga fixture between Barcelona and Real Betis. The Spanish official will be assisted by Santiago Jaime Latre, who will be in charge of VAR at Montjuïc.
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Sánchez Martínez last refereed a Barça match on 23 March 2023 when the Blaugrana picked up a 1-0 win over Diego Simeone’s Atlético Madrid with a goal from forward Ferran Torres.
Barcelona are currently fourth in LaLiga, collecting 10 points from their opening four games in 2023-24. Betis have played the same number of games but have picked up three points less to date and sit in eighth place at the time of writing.
Who is José María Sánchez Martínez?
Born in Lorca, Murcia, on 3 October 1983 - José María Sánchez Martínez is 39 years old. After four seasons in the Segunda División, he became a Primera División referee in the summer of 2015, making his debut in the top flight in a game between Basque club Real Sociedad and Asturian outfit Sporting de Gijón.
He has also refereed Champions League, Europa League, Conference and Nations League matches.
Sánchez Martínez’s record with Barcelona and Betis
Sánchez Martínez has taken charge of 22 Barcelona league matches, with 16 wins, four defeats and two draws for the Catalan club.
The Murcia-born referee has refereed Betis on 19 occasions, with a record of eight wins, eight defeats and three draws.