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Real Madrid have asked the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) to take action against the referees that were due to take charge of the Copa del Rey final on Saturday. Los Blancos have requested that the referees be changed due to what they believe to bias against them.
Referee Ricardo de Burgoes Bengoetxea and VAR Pablo Gonzalez Fuertes gave a press conference on Friday afternoon, with the former breaking down in tears due to the persecution faced by his family as a result of criticism of him. Meanwhile Gonzalez Fuertes promised that the refereeing body would be taking action in the near future against the hounding they suffer.
Real Madrid believe that this was a show of bias against Los Blancos, who are known for emitting smear pieces on Real Madrid TV before games, and requested that they change the officials. The RFEF, as noted by Cadena SER, have no intention of doing so, feeling there was no valid reason to change the referees.
Since, Real Madrid decided against attending their training session at La Cartuja on Friday night, and their press conference. In the aftermath, they have also put out a club statement, asking the RFEF to ‘act accordingly’. They feel that Gonzalez Fuertes showed that he would not be impartial, and that his words ‘demonstrate, once again, the clear and manifest animosity and hostility of these referees toward Real Madrid’.
It remains to be seen what action Real Madrid will follow through with, amid whispers that they are considering not attending the final if the officials are not changed. It seems highly unlikely that the RFEF will cave, as this would set a dangerous precedent were clubs able to complain and have officials changed.
Full Statement:
Real Madrid CF considers the public statements made today by the referees designated for the Copa del Rey Final, scheduled to be held tomorrow, April 26, 2025, to be unacceptable.
These protests, which have surprisingly focused attention on videos from a media outlet protected by freedom of expression, such as Real Madrid TV, deliberately carried out 24 hours earlier against one of the final’s participants, demonstrate, once again, the clear and manifest animosity and hostility of these referees toward Real Madrid.
Even more surprising statements, in a threatening tone, alluding to the referees’ unity, were used to announce alleged measures or actions that fall far short of the principles of fairness, objectivity, and impartiality that should prevail just hours before a football event that captures the attention of hundreds of millions of people around the world.
Given the seriousness of what happened, Real Madrid hopes that those responsible for the RFEF and the refereeing body will act accordingly, adopting the necessary measures to defend the prestige of the institutions they represent.
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