Are La Liga Referees Targeting Real Madrid, or Is It Just Football?

Real Madrid Has Chosen War. Not against a team. Not against a player. Not even a club. But against the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and its referees.

Real Madrid believes there is a collective effort to tarnish the club’s image and prevent them from winning trophies. Their frustration reached a boiling point after a controversial 1-0 defeat away to Espanyol. The match-winning goal came from Carlos Romero, who, earlier in the game, had escaped a red card despite a dangerous high-boot challenge on Kylian Mbappé.

Feeling wronged, Madrid lodged an official complaint against the referees. However, La Liga refused to provide a justification. So, the club took matters into its own hands—escalating the issue beyond the league.

This has sparked outrage, with La Liga President Javier Tebas, the Head of Spain’s Technical Committee of Referees, Luis Medina Cantalejo, and several Spanish clubs all taking issue with Madrid’s actions.

Now, the 36-time Spanish champions find themselves isolated. Domestically, they have little support. Internationally, the perception of Real Madrid as a ‘childish club throwing a tantrum’ has only grown stronger.

So, the question remains—does Madrid have a case? Are they truly the victims of a hidden agenda? Or are they simply an elite club unwilling to accept unfavorable decisions?

Why Real Madrid Feels Cornered

Let’s be honest—when fully fit, or even with a depleted squad, Real Madrid has enough quality to beat most teams comfortably, not just in Spain but across Europe. They don’t need favors from referees.

So, where is the problem?

For Madrid, it all boils down to poor officiating—decisions that, at times, have been highly questionable. Just a week after Carlos Romero’s high boot on Kylian Mbappé went unpunished, controversy struck again at the Santiago Bernabéu.

This time, during a heated clash with Atlético Madrid, Julián Álvarez scored from the penalty spot following what appeared to be a soft touch from Aurélien Tchouaméni on Atlético’s Samuel Lino inside the box.

What made it worse? The Atlético players didn’t even appeal for a foul. Yet, after a VAR review, the referee awarded a penalty.

But for Madrid, those incidents were nothing compared to what happened during their trip to Pamplona to face Osasuna.

First, Carlo Ancelotti was booked for protesting, while Osasuna players seemingly got away with repeated fouls. Then, Jude Bellingham was shown a straight red card for allegedly abusing referee José Luis Munuera Montero.

Reports claim Bellingham said “fck you” to the referee, but the Englishman insisted he actually said “fck off.” Not exactly respectful either way, but video evidence supports his version.

From that point, nearly every decision went against Madrid. And to top it all off, Eduardo Camavinga’s foul inside the box led to a penalty for Osasuna, which Ante Budimir converted.

For Madrid, this isn’t just about one or two games—it’s a pattern. And they believe it’s one that’s actively working against them.

Is Real Madrid Digging Its Own Grave?

If you haven’t been following the news over the past year and a half, this might come as a surprise—after every game, Real Madrid has been airing compilations of refereeing mistakes on their official TV channel, RMTV.

While this hasn’t gained much attention internationally, RMTV is widely watched in Spain. And unsurprisingly, this hasn’t gone down well with referees. After all, who would want to go home and see their mistakes publicly dissected on national television?

In theory, this shouldn’t affect their judgment. Referees are expected to officiate every game with neutrality, treating all teams fairly. But in reality, it does shape how Real Madrid is perceived.

Spain’s Technical Committee of Referees is unlikely to take kindly to a club that constantly calls out officials. And whether intentional or not, that could lead to even more friction between Madrid and the people in charge of making crucial decisions on the pitch.

Does La Liga Have a Refereeing Problem?

Real Madrid may be the loudest voice in this debate, but they aren’t the only ones frustrated with Spanish officiating. Across La Liga, complaints about inconsistent refereeing decisions have been growing, raising a bigger question—does the league have a referee crisis?

Controversial decisions are nothing new in football, but in Spain, they seem to happen with alarming frequency. VAR, introduced to eliminate clear and obvious errors, has instead become a source of even greater controversy. One week, a soft foul is ignored; the next, an almost identical challenge results in a penalty. The lack of consistency has left players, managers, and fans questioning whether referees are applying the rules fairly or just interpreting them however they see fit.

Beyond Real Madrid’s high-profile complaints, other clubs have voiced similar frustrations. Real Sociedad recently felt robbed after a series of questionable decisions went against them, particularly in key matches that affected their European qualification hopes.

Rayo Vallecano also protested after their recent 1-0 defeat to Barcelona on February 17, 2025, claiming they were unfairly treated by the officials. The match’s only goal came from a penalty awarded to Barcelona after VAR intervention for a foul by Pathé Ciss on Iñigo Martínez. However, a similar incident in the opposite box, where Héctor Fort appeared to foul Rayo’s Abdul Mumin, was not reviewed by VAR.

Rayo’s president, Martín Presa, expressed confusion over the inconsistent application of VAR, questioning why one incident was reviewed while the other was ignored.

Then there’s the issue of transparency. Unlike in the Premier League, where PGMOL (Professional Game Match Officials Limited) occasionally releases statements explaining controversial decisions, La Liga’s referees rarely face public accountability. Decisions are made, games move on, and fans are left in the dark.

Spain’s refereeing problems go beyond just club frustrations. The league has suffered several corruption scandals, most notably the Negreira case, where Barcelona allegedly paid millions to a former refereeing official for “consulting services.”

Even though no direct match-fixing was proven, the scandal only deepened the mistrust between clubs, referees, and La Liga’s governing bodies.

So, is Real Madrid right to feel targeted? Or are they simply the loudest in pointing out a wider issue? One thing is clear—La Liga’s refereeing system is under fire, and unless changes are made, controversies like these will only continue to dominate the headlines.

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