Chivas vs. Atlas, with controversy in sight? Gato Ortiz was chosen as referee
Marco Antonio Ortiz, with all the controversy surrounding his refereeing work, was chosen for the Guadalajara derby between Chivas vs. Atlas
For better or for worse, Marco Antonio “Gato” Ortiz has a career always surrounded by controversy and now will be no exception in his umpteenth occasion of officiating a classic, he was designated by the Referees Commission for the heated Chivas vs. Atlas on matchday 15 of the 2025 Apertura tournament of the Liga MX.
Under this designation, the referees chosen for the penultimate date of the current championship were announced and where both Guadalajara teams are in the fight for a direct ticket to the playoffs and for a place in the Play In
The difference in the table favors Guadalajara by four points, which is why the red and black visit is high risk and where the work of “Gato” Ortiz must be with too much personality, without exaggerations and without hesitations, but simply marking attached to the regulations.
Because refereeing this match undoubtedly represents a huge risk in a rivalry where the 294th edition of the Guadalajara derby will be played and where Chivas has the advantage with 110 wins to 95 for the red and blacks, in addition to 88 draws, which undoubtedly measures the type of match that the controversial Gato Ortiz will have to face.
The last time this referee refereed a Guadalajara derby was in the 2024 Clausura tournament, when Chivas, with a goal by Roberto “Piojo” Alvarado in the 74th minute with a shot from outside the area, beat goalkeeper Camilo Vargas.
The controversy surrounding Marco Antonio Ortiz intensified with the penalty called in favor of America three tournaments ago in the final against Cruz Azul in the 2024 Clausura tournament when he ruled a tackle by Argentine Carlos Rotondi on Israel Reyes as a foul, which declared the America victory 1-0 with the goal scored by Henry Martin.
He has officiated three games for Chivas and Atlas
So far, in the 2025 Apertura tournament, Marco Antonio Ortiz has officiated two games for Chivas in the 2025 Apertura tournament and in both there have been setbacks for the squad led by Gabriel Milito at the Akron stadium.
The first was against FC Juarez on matchday 5 where they lost 1-2 and the second on matchday 9 against Toluca where they fell 0-3, while Atlas was in charge of refereeing the red-and-black stumble against America on matchday 6 when they fell 2-4 and there was too much controversy.
Under this scenario, Gato Ortiz is expected to show his composure and experience to get this important duel ahead.
The rest of the designations
Meanwhile, in the other fronts of matchday 15 the following referees were chosen: Fernando Hernandez: FC Juarez vs. Puebla; Guillermo Pacheco: Mazatlan vs. America, Jorge Abraham Camacho: Tigres vs. Tijuana; Adonai Escobedo: Pumas vs. Leon; Daniel Quintero: Cruz Azul vs. Monterrey; Katia Itzel Garcia: Santos Laguna vs. Queretaro; Luis Enrique Santander: Atletico San Luis vs. Necaxa and Jesus Rafael Lopez: Toluca vs. Pachuca.