Real Madrid’s harsh criticism of the referees after the 0-1 defeat at Espanyol is having a wider impact. According to media reports, La Liga has filed a complaint with the Spanish association.
La Liga has filed a complaint with the disciplinary commission of the Spanish Royal Association RFEF regarding Real Madrid’s letter after the match against Espanyol, according to several media reports in Spain. League boss Javier Tebas had already announced consequences last Thursday.
In Real’s urgent letter, the refereeing performance is criticized after Espanyol’s Carlos Romero only saw the yellow instead of the red card for a foul on Kylian Mbappé. To make matters worse from the point of view of the Madrileneans, it was later Romero who scored the only goal of the game.
Real Madrid will have to respond to the allegations, after which an investigation will be launched. If proceedings are subsequently opened, the royal family will face sanctions.
After the game at Espanyol, Real published a public protest note to the Spanish Football Association, with a copy sent to the government and its supreme sports authority, CSD. It speaks of “competition distortion”, “fraud” and “manipulation”. The game at Espanyol was the “culmination of a completely rotten refereeing system”. A system that is “systematically corrupt” and intent on “protecting itself”.
La Liga and RFEF show a lack of understanding
The response from Tebas, who is in a constant battle with Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, for example over the Super League, was not long in coming. He accused the Madrilenians of having a “victim mentality” and said: “Now they have completely lost their minds. It’s about discrediting La Liga.” In a statement, the RFEF deplored “the tone and seriousness of the accusations, which question the integrity of the refereeing bodies and the functioning of the competition as a whole”. The constant “delegitimization of the referees’ work” creates a “climate of mistrust”.
The referees have already threatened protest actions; in the Derbi Madrileno between Real and Atletico (1:1), the team was unintentionally in the spotlight due to the public pressure. Two delicate scenes caused renewed discussion, but this was kept in check, especially since ultimately neither team felt disadvantaged.
