The feud between Real Madrid and the referees has been ongoing for a long time now, and it is clear that the rift between the two cannot be bridged easily.
Los Blancos have made it clear time and time again that the refereeing standards have not been up to the mark in recent times, especially in their games.
Most recently, the Madrid derby generated much debate over the referees’ decision not to send off Atletico Madrid players but promptly send off a Real Madrid star.
Earlier this week, VAR’s prompt intervention in the decision to send Vinicius Jr. off further fueled the conspiracy theories, although it is quite clear that the offense was red-card worthy.
No support from the higher-ups
Real Madrid are at war with the refereeing system. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
As reported by Anton Meana (h/t RM4Arab) in a recent update, no one in the Spanish Football Federation understands Real Madrid’s criticism of the refereeing performances and standards.
While they are aware of the conflict between the two parties, they do not see any fault on the referees’ side and support them fully.
In that sense, it is quite clear that the RFEF see Real Madrid’s allegations and criticism to be baseless in what comes as a massive development. After all, having the highest sporting authority in the country invalidate their claims comes as a big blow.
A full-blown war
The derby was filled with controversy. (Photo by Mateo Villalba Sanchez/Getty Images)
Despite not having support from authorities or other parties, Real Madrid continue to wage a lone war against the refereeing, and their biggest weapon on that front has been Real Madrid TV.
After the recent win over Villarreal, the club’s media outlet once again launched a strong attack on the referees and called them out on their errors to mount pressure on the officiating system.
Five yellow cards were shown to the Real Madrid players on the night, in addition to Vinicius Jr.’s red card, and even those on the bench and coaching staff were not spared.
Most of the focus of Real Madrid TV, at this point, is on highlighting the double standards of referees and how Los Blancos are punished for instances where other clubs are handed a let-off.
In any case, the feud is not one to die down any time soon.