Orcel and Santander will face each other in court on April 13 - court spokesman

MADRID (Reuters) - Santander <SAN.MC> and Andrea Orcel will face each other in April next year in preliminary court proceedings over the Italian banker's lawsuit against the lender's decision to withdraw an offer to make him CEO, a Madrid court spokesman said on Friday.

"The preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 13, where technicalities such as what procedural evidence or potential witnesses can be accepted will be decided as part of the case," the spokesman said.

The preliminary hearing is part of a lengthy legal process that could take several more months before a proper trial starts later, the spokesman said.

Santander declined to comment.

(Reporting By Jesús Aguado; Editing by Ingrid Melander)