Real to complain to FIFA over refereeing in Spain

They are top of the table, the only team with a perfect record after four rounds, yet Real Madrid are still dissatisfied. Moreover, they are angry about the treatment they are receiving from referees—after yet another match in which, they believe at the Santiago Bernabéu, they were wronged. Most would probably agree that the referee of the match against Real Sociedad, Jesus Gil Manzano, could have—and many would say should have—been more lenient with Dean Huijsen and punished him with a yellow card for his foul on Mikel Oyarzabal during a counterattack, since Eder Militão was aligned with him. Instead, Manzano pulled out a red card and sent off the 62.5 million euros defender, sparking outrage among Real’s leadership. Anger which Madrid then directed toward their fiercest rival—Barcelona.

As reported earlier, due to this latest incident and all the refereeing mistakes from last season, Real have prepared an appeal to FIFA so that the world’s governing body “has insight into the situation in Spanish football related to officiating.” The reason, they claim, is that the number of red cards shown to them is significantly higher compared to the Catalan club. Tensions between Madrid and Barcelona had already flared up four months ago, ahead of the league Clasico, when Real applied pressure on Alejandro Hernandez, warning that the referee, appointed for that match, had been a Barca supporter since childhood. Now they are once again bringing Hansi Flick’s team into a refereeing debate, even though Barca had nothing to do with last night’s game. Real’s camp insists otherwise, arguing that this is how La Liga favors the Catalans—and they have statistics to back up their suspicion.

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Huijsen’s sending off, which sent tempers soaring at the Santiago Bernabeu, gave the club a reason to highlight the statistical fact that troubles them most. Namely, when tallying all red cards for and against in La Liga during the 21st century, Barcelona hold a positive balance of +65, while Real sit at –2. In other words, over the past two and a half decades, Barça have played 65 more games with a numerical advantage, whereas Real have played two more matches with a man down.

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What further angers Real’s leadership is the comparison of these La Liga figures with those from the Champions League, where referees are appointed by UEFA. In Europe’s top competition, the balance is almost equal: Barcelona are at +12, while Real are at +13.

“A minimal difference which, from the perspective of the 15-time European champion, disproves the idea that what happens in La Liga is mere statistical coincidence. For Madrid’s management, the interpretation is clear: in Spain there is a refereeing trend that systematically harms Real Madrid, while in Europe the treatment is far more neutral,” wrote Madrid-based Marca.

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The data presented by Real’s club television also cast further light on the Negreira case, which remains unresolved. The scandal, which investigates Barcelona’s payments to then–vice president of the Technical Refereeing Committee, Jose María Enríquez Negreira, has strengthened Real fans’ conviction that something has for years been influencing the way their club is treated by referees in domestic competitions.

LA LIGA - MATCHDAY 4

Friday

Sevilla - Elche 2-2 (1-0)

/Romero 28, Fernandez 85 - Silva 54, Mir 70/

Saturday

Getafe - Oviedo 2-0 (2-0)

/Martin 45+4, Mayoral 45+9/

Real Sociedad - Real Madrid 1-2 (0-2)

/Oyarzabal 56 pen - Mbappe 12, Guler 44/

Athletic Bilbao - Alaves 0-1 (0-0)

/Berenguer 57 og/

Atletico Madrid - Villarreal 2-0 (1-0)

/Barrios 9, Gonzalez 52/

Sunday

15.00: (1.75) Celta (3.95) Girona (4.85)

17.15: (3.45) Levante (3.40) Betis (2.25)

19.30: (2.50) Osasuna (3.15) Rayo Vallecano (3.00)

22.00: (1.23) Barcelona (7.50) Valencia (13.0)

Monday

22.00: (2.25) Espanyol (3.20) Mallorca (3.40)

***odds are subject to change***