José María Sánchez Martínez is a Spanish football referee born in Lorca (Murcia), Spain on 3 October 1983. He made his La Liga debut on 29 August 2015 and has been FIFA-listed since 2017. He is part of the current top-flight refereeing pool in Spain and is regularly relevant for pre-match analysis, appointment previews and VAR-focused discussion.
In the 2025/26 La Liga season, Sánchez Martínez has officiated 10 league matches, averaging 27.20 fouls, 0.50 penalties, 4.40 yellow cards and 0.30 red cards per game. Those numbers point to a high-intervention profile, with a high foul count and frequent stoppages, and a noticeable tendency to point to the spot. For The VAR Verdict, that statistical snapshot helps readers understand the disciplinary threshold and general tone he has shown this season.
Historical coverage is selective. We only show seasons and competitions where our sources provide enough verified referee data, so some older seasons may not be available.
Viking
3–1
Dinamo Zagreb
Mallorca
3–0
Oviedo
Sevilla FC
0–1
Real Madrid CF
Deportivo Alavés
1–0
FC Barcelona
Oviedo
1–2
Elche CF
Aston Villa
4–0
Bologna FC 1909
Mallorca
2–1
Real Madrid CF
Real Betis Balompié
1–1
Celta de Vigo
Lille OSC
0–1
Aston Villa
Atalanta BC
4–1
Borussia Dortmund
Elche CF
0–0
CA Osasuna
Real Betis Balompié
2–1
Valencia CF
Real Madrid CF
2–1
Mallorca
Valencia CF
1–1
Real Sociedad de Fútbol
FC Copenhagen
5–0
Malmö FF
Las Palmas
0–1
Leganes
Club Atlético de Madrid
4–0
Real Sociedad de Fútbol
Getafe CF
0–1
Real Madrid CF
Real Betis Balompié
1–0
Las Palmas
Celta de Vigo
1–0
CA Osasuna
Athletic Club
3–0
Girona
Club Atlético de Madrid
1–1
Villarreal CF
Deportivo Alavés
1–1
Athletic Club
Athletic Club
2–1
Real Madrid CF
RCD Espanyol de Barcelona
3–1
Celta de Vigo
Mallorca
0–1
Club Atlético de Madrid
Getafe CF
1–1
CA Osasuna
Las Palmas
1–1
Real Betis Balompié
Athletic Club
3–1
Celta de Vigo
Sevilla FC
0–2
Girona
Real Sociedad de Fútbol
1–2
Deportivo Alavés
Valencia CF
1–2
FC Barcelona
Historical coverage is selective. Only seasons with sufficient verified referee data are shown; some competitions and older seasons are intentionally unavailable when coverage is incomplete.
VAR event counts describe provider-coded incidents. They do not represent The VAR Verdict's editorial judgment on whether a decision was correct or incorrect.
