Real Madrid News
Real Madrid to file complaint with FIFA over refereeing howlers in La Liga
It has not taken long into the season to realise that Real Madrid are prepared for a full-blown feud with the referees this term, and the team’s clash earlier today only worsened the situation.
Los Blancos have been vocal about refereeing decisions going against them from the get-go this season and were particularly agitated by goals being disallowed for various reasons.
Earlier today, however, Dean Huijsen was given his marching orders in the team’s clash against Real Sociedad, and the club is infuriated by the continual ‘mistakes’ by referees as revealed by AS.
Complaint to be filed
As confirmed by the Spanish outlet in a recent update, Real Madrid TV announced on air earlier today that the club are preparing a dossier to file with FIFA of being targeted by the refereeing decisions in La Liga.
The said complaint will not only include the mistakes from matchdays one to four but also from last season, showing that the men in white have been facing such atrocities for a long time now.
What triggered the club, in particular, was the manner in which Dean Huijsen was shown a red card for being the last man when Eder Militao was just a few metres away. The fact that VAR did not even summon the referee to have a closer look only worsened the situation.
Further, the fact that Mbappe once again had a goal ruled out did not help, and it now appears that Real Madrid and La Liga are on the verge of a war over the refereeing situation.
Real Madrid TV called La Liga an ’embarrassment’ for the decisions and went on to complain about Arda Guler’s disallowed goal once again during the commentary of the game earlier today.
It remains to be seen if an official complaint is indeed filed, and if so, the consequences it harbours.
Real Madrid News
Mourinho reacts to Vinicius suspension: “Why announce it two hours before an important match?”
Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has questioned the RFEF Disciplinary Committee’s decision to announce Vinicius Jr.’s four-match suspension just hours before their UEFA Champions League meeting with AS Roma on Wednesday.
The Brazilian has been hit with a four-match ban for his red card against Villarreal, meaning he will miss the matches against Sevilla, Barcelona, Racing Santander, and Valencia.
And, speaking to Movistar+ (h/t MARCA) before the match, the Real Madrid manager was asked whether the punishment could affect the Brazilian psychologically.
Mourinho instead turned his attention to the football authorities and the timing of their announcement.
“I think that is a question for the Committee. Why have they announced the suspension at this particular moment? If you are asking me this question, it is presumably because you think it could affect him,” the Portuguese coach replied.
“You should ask the Committee why they did not announce it this morning, or tomorrow morning. Why do they do it two hours before a match that is important for Real Madrid, which is a Spanish club?” he added, questioning the timing of the decision.
Mourinho explains his tactical approach against Roma
The Real Madrid manager also outlined his plan for facing a Roma side known for their aggressive pressing.
“My intention is to stop them from pressing us so high up the pitch, given the players we have available and as a precaution,” he said.
Continuing, the Portuguese manager added: “They press man-to-man higher up the pitch better than anyone else, and we will see whether we can take advantage of that. If not, they will have to drop their press five or ten metres.”
Why Rudiger over Huijsen
Mourinho also justified his decision to start Antonio Rudiger at centre-back alongside Ibrahima Konate rather than Dean Huijsen.
“They played very well together in the last match, Rudiger and Konate, showing great leadership and the ability to withstand a difficult situation when we had ten men for 30 minutes,” he said.
“I am not saying Dean is not capable of playing a match like this, but this is a wonderful atmosphere for Roma and a difficult one for us. I think a player with Antonio’s experience can be important,” Mourinho added.
Finally, Mourinho was asked about his emotions ahead of returning to face Roma, the club he managed between 2021 and 2024.
The Portuguese coach offered a brief response, saying that he had his feelings about the occasion “blocked”.
