Spanish Referee Makes Roshen League Debut in Star vs. Al Hilal Showdown
7 November 2025
Roshen Week 8: Referee Debut and Big Matches
The Saudi Football Federation announced the refereeing crews for Friday’s matches, the eighth round of the Roshen Pro League, which features three strong fixtures on the second day of the round after the league kicked off on Thursday.
All eyes are on the Najma vs Al Hilal clash, while Al Fayha meets Al Akhdoud, and Taawon hosts Al Fateh, in a day expected to deliver drama in the title race.
Spanish Official Debuts in Roshen; Other Assignments
For the Najma vs Al Hilal match, the Saudi refereeing committee entrusted the central role to a Spanish official making his Roshen debut, led by international referee Alejandro Muñoz. He is assisted by Diego Sanchez and Carlos Alvarez, with Farih Al Jaloud as the fourth official. In the VAR room, Javier Villanueva and Ivan Maso will oversee the review.
Muñoz is widely regarded as one of La Liga's top referees in recent years, having overseen many important matches in La Liga and the UEFA Champions League, including the Barcelona vs Sevilla clash that Sevilla won 4-1.
In the other fixtures, the Saudi crew will handle Al Fayha vs Al Akhdoud under the guidance of international Shukri Al Hanfoush, with Mohammed Al Abkari and Hassan Al Salam as assistants, and Abdul Samad Bakri as the fourth official, while Khalid Al Eris will serve as the VAR with assistance from Eisa Al Khibri.
As for the Taawon vs Al Fateh match, Abdullah Zurban will referee, with Mohammed Al Hanfoush and Nawaf Saqaf as assistants, while Khalid Al Ahmari will be the fourth official, and Mamdouh Al Shahdan will run the VAR with Mohammed Khaleel assisting.
Hilal will be without Darwin Núñez for the sixth consecutive match, the Uruguayan striker sidelined by injury and missing the Najma game. The club's medical staff hope to have him ready after the upcoming international break.
After the break, Hilal faces a busy period with two league matches against Al Fateh under Portuguese coach Jose Gomes, the first on 22 November at Kingdom Arena, and the second less than a week later in the King’s Cup quarterfinal on 28 November.
The two teams have a rich head-to-head record, meeting 28 times in the league; Hilal has won 21, Fateh 4, and 3 draws.
Among these meetings, the January clash remains vivid when Hilal hammered Fateh 9-0, the biggest Roshen League victory in history.
Before the Najma match, Hilal will also face an Asian quest against Police from Iraq in the AFC Champions League group stage, on 25 November at Kingdom Arena, in the fifth group game.
Police sit bottom of their West Asia group with one point from four matches, after drawing with Al Sadd 1-1, then losing to Al Gharafa 0-2, and to Ittihad Jeddah 1-4, and Tractor 0-1.
Hilal will try to capitalize on these conditions to secure another win and advance early to the knockout stage, mirroring compatriots Ittihad who beat the Iraqi side in the previous round.
The eyes turn tonight to King Abdullah Sports City in Buraydah as Hilal aims to keep their strong league run going despite injuries, while Najma hopes to exploit home support to pull off a shock against the blue giant. As the Spanish refereeing crew makes their Roshen debut, Week 8 looks set to deliver more excitement and debate on the pitch.
Punchline 1: If this round keeps tightening like a drum, the only thing that will loosen is the crowd’s curiosity—and maybe the referee’s whistle a touch too loud.
Punchline 2: In football, suspense is king; in this league, even the VAR room needs a popcorn machine.
