Ortiz Arias becomes first Madrid-born referee to oversee Atlético-Real Madrid derby

The Madrid derby between Atlético de Madrid and Real Madrid will have a historic figure in the refereeing department. Miguel Ángel Ortiz Arias, born in Madrid in 1984, has been chosen to officiate a match that, for the first time, will be handled by a referee from the Spanish capital itself. The appointment comes in a season in which Spanish refereeing continues to relax its traditional territoriality rule.

• Ortiz Arias will be the first Madrid-born referee to take charge of an Atlético-Real Madrid clash.
• He already broke the territoriality rule last season by officiating Rayo Vallecano-Getafe.
• His selection reinforces a trend that also saw Munuera Montero take the Seville derby and García Verdura the Catalan derby.
• Ortiz Arias is a physical education teacher and won the Guruceta award as the best referee of the 2021/2022 season.
• He is in his seventh season in Spain's top flight.

A Madrid derby with a local refereeing accent for the first time

Ortiz Arias' presence in the Atlético-Real Madrid match is no small matter. Until now, no Madrid-born official had been given the responsibility of handling the clash between the red-and-whites and the whites. The decision by the Spanish Referees' Technical Committee marks another step in the progressive opening of Spanish refereeing to breaking the geographical limits that shaped appointments for decades.

The precedent that changed territoriality

Ortiz Arias' story with territoriality does not begin with this derby. Last season he was the referee chosen by Fran Soto to handle Rayo Vallecano-Getafe as a Madrid native, a milestone that opened the door for other officials to follow that path. Soon after, Andalusian referee Munuera Montero took charge of the Seville derby and García Verdura did the same with the Catalan one.

That renewed rule, for now, allows a referee born in the same autonomous community to officiate matches involving teams from that community. It does not apply, however, when an official belongs to one of the communities of teams facing each other from different regions.

An experienced and recognized official in Spain's top flight

Ortiz Arias is in his seventh season in LaLiga with a well-established career. A physical education teacher by profession, the Madrid native won the Guruceta award from MARCA that named him the best referee of the 2021/2022 season, recognition that backed his consistency at the elite level.

A passion for football beyond the whistle

Beyond his refereeing work, Ortiz Arias is a passionate football fan and a devoted supporter of the Spanish national team. This summer he travelled to New York to enjoy as a fan the World Cup final in which Spain clinched their second star, a sign that his connection to the sport goes far beyond the pitch.

The Negreira Case controversy and his defence of referees

In a conversation with the Royal Madrid Football Federation, Ortiz Arias was particularly critical of the tense atmosphere surrounding refereeing in the wake of the Negreira Case. He believes there is now more violence and that the media spotlight has placed officials in an uncomfortable position.

I think there is more violence now. The focus has been put on us. Whenever people tell me 'no, it's just you' or 'it's you all...', I tell them this: imagine you are a worker at your company and an executive at that company has done things they shouldn't have. Does that make you corrupt? I don't think so.

The peculiar moment with Raphinha in the Barça-Athletic match

This season also left a much-commented anecdote involving Brazilian forward Raphinha before the match between Barcelona and Athletic Club. After the initial coin toss alongside Iñaki Williams, the Madrid referee delivered a striking line to the Barça attacker: "I like your moustache." A light-hearted moment that further fuelled the fame of the referee with the most recognizable moustache in LaLiga.