Miguel Angel Ortiz Arias, Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid
20 September 2026
Miguel Angel Ortiz Arias will become the first Madrid-born referee to officiate an Atletico Madrid versus Real Madrid derby, marking another break with Spain’s traditional geographical restrictions on appointments. The Madrid official was selected by the technical refereeing committee.
Ortiz Arias previously became the first Madrid referee allowed to handle Rayo Vallecano against Getafe, helping open the door for similar regional derby appointments elsewhere. His selection continues the move away from automatically excluding officials because of regional affiliation.