He was, with his assistants, one of the most prominent men of the evening at the Bernabeu. The referee José María Sánchez Martínez, that of the Clasico between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, won 4-0 by the Catalan collective, was remembered for his number of whistles sanctioning Kylian Mbappé’s offsides: eight in total, a record for eight years.
The Clasico between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona is not just a matter for the players.
For having officiated on the field of the most anticipated football match on the Old Continent, José María Sánchez Martínez received a bonus of 4,200 euros for his performance. This remuneration, identical for all La Liga matches, is added to a fixed monthly salary of 12,500 euros guaranteed to referees in the Spanish first division. A system in place since 2018, the result of an agreement between the Spanish Federation, La Liga and the Technical Committee of Referees.
La Liga referees are among the highest paid in the world
The annual income of a Spanish elite referee can vary between 193,000 and 296,000 euros, making them among the best paid in the world. To these emoluments are added bonuses of 2,100 euros per match for referees officiating at VAR.
Leading a Clasico nevertheless remains a special privilege. If the bonus is identical to that of a classic championship match, the media pressure and the importance of decisions in this type of poster make it one of the most delicate missions for a La Liga referee. A responsibility that goes well beyond simple financial compensation. This Sunday morning, from the first reactions of the international press on this resounding success of Barça over its best rival, it seems that the summary came out in a rather honorable manner.
Belgium
