The Egyptian Football Association has announced the referee who will officiate the Al Ahly vs. Zamalek match in the ninth round of the Egyptian Premier League, scheduled for Monday.
César Soto Grado will be the referee for the match, assisted by Ivan Maso Grando and Antonio Moreno, while Alejandro Ruiz will serve as the fourth official. Jose Montero and Mario Lopez will be the VAR.
Soto Grado is one of the most prominent referees in La Liga in recent years. This season, he has officiated three La Liga matches, the most recent being the match between Sevilla and Villarreal. He also officiated a match in the early stages of the Champions League.
Soto has not shown any red cards this season, but he remains one of the most prolific referees in the game, having shown 19 yellow cards in just four matches.
Soto has refereed the El Clásico between Real Madrid and Barcelona once in his career, the year before last, when Los Blancos won 3-2 at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Egyptian football has become accustomed to bringing in Spanish referees over the past two years, the most recent of whom was the Pyramids vs. Al Ahly match a month ago.
Zamalek enters the summit at the top of the Egyptian Premier League standings with 17 points, compared to 12 points for Al Ahly, who are in eighth place, with one game less for the Red Castle.
