Real Madrid News
Official: Real Madrid condemn referee comments showing ‘hostility’ and ‘animosity’, against club
With a little over 24 hours left before the Copa del Rey final, Real Madrid have issued an official statement condemning the comments made by referees Ricardo De Burgos Bengoetxea and Pablo Gonzalez Fuertes.
Tensions are at a high as Real Madrid are furious about the statements made by the two aforementioned officials, who will be involved in tomorrow’s Copa del Rey final against Barcelona.
As a result, the club have already decided to boycott all pre-match official events like the press conference, open training session, official dinner and photo sessions. In fact, the prospect of not playing the final is being considered as well.
The demand to change the referee has not been entertained by the RFEF, prompting the Merengues to now launch a public statement seeking action.
Real Madrid’s statement
The full statement from Real Madrid reads as follows, as the club highlight that the comments made by the match officials shows ‘animosity’ and ‘hostility’ towards them.
“Real Madrid considers inadmissible the public statements made today by the referees appointed for the Final of the Copa del Rey to be held tomorrow 26 April 2025,” it started.
“These statements, which have surprisingly focused the spotlight on the videos of a media outlet protected by freedom of expression, such as Realmadrid TV, made in a premeditated manner 24 hours earlier against one of the participants in the final, demonstrate, once again, a clear and manifest animosity and hostility of these referees against Real Madrid.”
Comunicado Oficial.
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) April 25, 2025
Continuing, Real Madrid highlighted the ‘threatening’ tone in the comments, saying:
“Even more surprising statements, in a threatening tone, alluding to the unity of the referees, to announce supposed measures or actions that are far removed from the principles of fairness, objectivity and impartiality that should prevail just hours before a football event that focuses the attention of hundreds of millions of people around the world.”
Finally, Real Madrid concluded the statement by demanding the RFEF to take proper actions before the cup final tomorrow.
“In view of the seriousness of what has happened, Real Madrid hopes that those in charge of the RFEF and the refereeing profession will act accordingly, adopting the corresponding measures in defence of the prestige of the institutions they represent.”
After three successive wins to start the season, a 1-0 loss to Real Betis came as a reality check for Real Madrid, who are still some way off matching the quality and consistency of Barcelona.
In light of the defeat, the Real Madrid coaching staff is analysing the best way to get the most out of the current setup.
More expected from Valverde
According to Defensa Central, one of the key conclusions drawn from the Betis defeat is that Real Madrid need greater involvement from Federico Valverde with the ball.
The Uruguayan has been deployed as the pivot, largely due to the absence of the injured Aurelien Tchouameni, but he is yet to make the step up in quality the team requires from that role.
While his effort and commitment are never in doubt, Mourinho and his staff, led by Sami Khedira, feel Valverde spends too much time positioned behind the opposition’s midfield line.
As a result, he fails to offer passing lanes to his teammates when they are under pressure, forcing them into hurried, aimless clearances rather than playing out cleanly from the back.
That concern has already been communicated to Valverde, who is still adapting to a position he has never truly played, making the challenge all the more difficult for him.
A collective issue to fix
However, the problem is not Valverde’s alone, with the coaching staff identifying a wider issue in the team’s structure.
Khedira has reportedly noted a certain passivity from the attackers in the videos of the match, particularly Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappe, when it comes to offering themselves as the ball transitions from midfield into attacking areas.
That lack of movement compounds the difficulties for the deeper midfielders.
Mourinho, for his part, remains unfazed by the departure of Rodri to Barcelona, insisting his squad has the tools to cope.
“I’m not missing Rodri. We have solutions, we have quality,” the Portuguese said, before adding that he backs his ability to improve players.
With a Champions League opener against Inter Milan on the horizon, Mourinho and his staff will be keen to iron out these issues quickly.
