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Real Madrid has ignited a major controversy in Spanish football. Following their defeat to Espanyol, Florentino Perez’s club sent a strongly worded letter to the Spanish Football Federation and the Consejo Superior de Deportes, alleging biased officiating and calling for a complete overhaul of the refereeing system.
The main grievance stems from a controversial decision in the 71st minute, when Carlos Romero escaped a red card for a rough tackle on Mbappé before later scoring the decisive goal. Madrid-based newspapers Marca and As quickly fueled the outrage, running headlines like “Scandal” and “Rigged League”. The club claims LaLiga is manipulated and has demanded access to audio recordings between the match referee and VAR room to clarify the situation. Their letter, spanning over three pages, not only denounces the specific incident but also calls for a broader investigation into Spanish refereeing, particularly in the wake of the 'Negreira Case', which implicated Barcelona in suspicious payments to the former vice-president of the referee committee.
LaLiga president Javier Tebas wasted no time in responding, accusing Madrid of hypocrisy: “In 2023, they voted against our proposed referee reforms without offering an alternative. Now they’re complaining? Perhaps it’s because Perez was on the Federation board alongside Rubiales at the time.”
The controversy has cast a shadow over the upcoming Madrid derby against Atlético at the Bernabéu—a match with major title implications. The referee assigned to the game will be under immense scrutiny, as tensions between Madrid and the league continue to escalate.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of the Copa del Rey quarterfinal against Leganés, Carlo Ancelotti voiced his concerns: “We’re not asking for favors, just an explanation. If we don’t get one, it means there’s a problem that needs to be addressed. We’re not the only ones complaining—when so many teams raise issues, it’s clear that something isn’t working. This is the right moment for change.”
Club president Florentino Perez, meanwhile, has floated the idea of bringing in foreign referees to officiate in LaLiga, as seen in other European leagues. Ancelotti also weighed in on the matter, suggesting that Premier League referees “face less pressure and, as a result, perform better.”
