Mbappé's kick not penalised despite the blood: who is Rojas, the referee of the Barcelona and Atlético clash?

The Spanish referee was a witness to Atlético's shock in the Copa del Rey final

The referees' committee has handed Spanish referee Javier Alberola Rojas the eagerly awaited clash between Atletico Madrid and Barcelona, scheduled for tomorrow, Sunday, in the Spanish league. It is a fixture of huge importance in the battle for top spot.

According to the newspaper "Mundo Deportivo", Javier Iglesias Villanueva will take charge of the video technology (VAR), in the second prominent refereeing appointment this season.

Born in Ciudad Real, the 34-year-old Alberola Rojas ranks among the most prominent rising referees in Spanish football. He recently made his debut in the Champions League, despite already sitting in the first group of UEFA referees.

Tomorrow's match will be the referee's seventh appearance in the Spanish league this season. It also marks the first time he has officiated a clash between Atletico Madrid and Barcelona in his top-flight career.

Alberola Rojas has taken charge of 21 Atletico Madrid matches in the Spanish league, a run that brought 12 wins, four draws and five defeats. His most recent match with the Madrid side came against Sevilla in the third round of the current season, a 3-1 win for Atletico at the Sanchez Pizjuan stadium.

The same referee also officiated the 2026 Copa del Rey final, which Atletico Madrid lost to Real Sociedad on penalties, after normal and extra time ended 2-2 at the La Cartuja stadium.

Barcelona have seen him referee 13 of their league matches, a stretch that delivered 10 wins and two draws against just one defeat.

His most recent match in charge of Barcelona was last February, when the Catalans beat Levante 3-0 at the Spotify Camp Nou. The only defeat dates back to 20 May 2023, when they fell 2-1 to Real Sociedad at their own stadium.

Alberola Rojas earns the appointment after his name was tied to an incident that angered Real Madrid last season. He refused to award a penalty in favour of Frenchman Kylian Mbappe in the clash against Girona, a moment that became a huge talking point in the Spanish media and reopened the file on controversial refereeing decisions in the Spanish league.

The roots of the controversy go back to the Real Madrid and Girona match in April 2026, which ended 1-1. The final minutes delivered a moment that sparked furious objections inside the Royal club.

Mbappe took a blow to the face inside the penalty area from Brazilian defender Vitor Reis. The contact left him injured and bleeding above his right eyebrow. Alberola Rojas waved play on, and the video assistant referee did not step in to review or change the decision.

Alvaro Arbeloa, Real Madrid's coach at the time, insisted his team deserved a penalty in that situation. He also hit out at the mechanism for handling some controversial moments, a pointed reference to the role of video technology and the limits of its intervention in refereeing decisions.