De Burgos Bengoechea and Gonzalez Fuertes complained about RMTV’s videos and the club believe they’re no longer impartial ahead of Saturday’s Final against Barcelona.
On the eve of the Copa del Rey Final, a brewing controversy between Real Madrid and Spain’s refereeing body has escalated, with the club formally requesting the removal of two officials slated to oversee the match.
Referees Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea and Pablo González Fuertes addressed the media earlier this Friday, expressing frustration over persistent criticism from Spanish clubs—particularly in response to Real Madrid TV’s recurring video content scrutinizing refereeing decisions.
“I am going to talk about those videos… More than what is said, it’s about the consequences of what is said. We are seeing anonymous people on social media who insult and threaten without any control. Officials from clubs’ official accounts are constantly attacking our group, as well as players’ actions and statements suggesting that we are not honest in our decisions. The consequence is that when you talk about robbery and use offensive words, the frustration you generate in the fans ends up being taken out on the boy and girl who pick up a whistle and have to referee a children’s match. It’s the result of putting a target on a colleague’s head. It’s good and healthy for everyone to return to a more wholesome football,” said Gonzalez Fuertes, who will be taking care of VAR duties during the Final.
In the wake of that press conference, Real Madrid are arguing that the referees’ remarks demonstrated a lack of impartiality and disqualified them from officiating Saturday’s final, according to reports from Marca and La Sexta.
Despite the club’s objections, sources told Managing Madrid that the RFEF has no plans to alter the referee assignments. As it stands, De Burgos Bengoetxea will remain in charge of the match, with González Fuertes operating as the VAR official.
The dispute underscores ongoing tensions between Spain’s top clubs and the officiating establishment, with Real Madrid in particular increasingly vocal about what it views as systemic officiating inconsistencies.
