Referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea cried during a news conference on Friday as he detailed the impact criticism from Real Madrid’s in-house television channel and other outlets has had on him and his family.
De Burgos Bengoetxea, who will take charge of Saturday’s Copa del Rey final between Madrid and Barcelona, became visibly emotional as he described an occasion where his son had returned home from school in tears because classmates had called the 39-year-old official a “thief”.
Videos pointing out alleged biases against Madrid by match officials have become regular features of Real Madrid TV ahead of big games. On Thursday, the channel published a video compilation of alleged mistakes made by De Burgos Bengoetxea during previous Madrid matches.
“We’re focusing a lot on the videos on Real Madrid Television, it’s what has the biggest repercussions, I’m not going to tell you otherwise,” he said. “I’m going to tell you about situations that have happened to colleagues of mine and then you give me your evaluation because I want you to answer me.
“When one of your children goes to school and there are kids who tell him that his dad is a thief and he comes back home crying, that’s really f—ed up.
“What I do in my case is try to educate my son to tell him that his father is honourable. Above all honourable, that he makes mistakes, like any sportsperson. And that’s really f—ed up. I don’t wish it on anyone. But the day I leave here, I want my son to be proud of what his dad was and what refereeing is.
“Because refereeing has given us lots of values and there’s no right (to put us through) what we’re experiencing. Lots of male and female colleagues — not (just) professional football, because this affects our families — but above all at grassroots level. So everyone should reflect on where we want to go and what we want from sport and football. I’d simply like you to know that.”
😲👀 El momento en el que Ricardo De Burgos Bengoetxea rompe a llorar en la rueda de prensa previa a la Final de la Copa del Rey#realmadri̇d #fcbarcalona #copadelrey @jdelriomuradas pic.twitter.com/2PFwwBJ4mq
— MARCA (@marca) April 25, 2025
There had been suggestions Madrid would pull out of Saturday’s final following De Burgos Bengoetxea’s comments, which the club described as “unacceptable” and showing “the clear and manifest animosity and hostility of these referees toward Real Madrid”.
Madrid released a second statement on Friday insisting they “never considered withdrawing” from the game.
“Our club understands that the unfortunate and inappropriate statements made by the referees designated for this match, made 24 hours before the final, cannot taint a sporting event of global significance that will be watched by hundreds of millions of people, and out of respect for all the fans who are planning to travel to Seville, and all those who are already in the Andalusian capital,” the club wrote.
How have Madrid reacted?
Madrid released a statement on Friday following the news conference.
“Real Madrid C. F. considers unacceptable the public statements made today by the referees appointed for the Copa del Rey Final to be held tomorrow 26 April 2025,” said the club.
“These statements, which have surprisingly placed in the spotlight videos made by a media outlet protected by freedom of expression, such as Realmadrid TV, made in a premeditated manner 24 hours ahead of the final against one of its participants, demonstrate, once again, these referees clear and manifest animosity and hostility towards Real Madrid.
“Statements that are even more surprising, using 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 will draw the attention of hundreds of millions of people around the world.
“In view of the seriousness of events, Real Madrid hopes that those in charge of the RFEF (Spanish Football Association) and the refereeing profession will act accordingly, taking the corresponding measures in defence of the honour of the institutions they represent.”
Club sources, speaking on the condition of anonymity, have indicated to The Athletic that they expect the RFEF to remove De Burgos Bengoetxea and Gonzalo Fuertes, who is set to be the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), from officiating Saturday’s game after their comments.
When asked by The Athletic whether the officials would be sanctioned, the RFEF said that no request had been made to have them removed from the game.
Madrid also cancelled their own planned media session with a player and head coach Carlo Ancelotti, which had been scheduled for 5.15pm CET in Seville, in response to the news conference. Club sources also indicated they would not be attending any of the pre-game events organised by the RFEF.
What has the Spanish Football Federation said?
RFEF president Rafael Louzan told El Larguero radio show on Friday night that he had spoken with Madrid’s director general Jose Angel Sanchez. He said there had not been a request to change the officiating team and in no moment had he feared that Madrid would not take part in the game.
“It was a very friendly conversation of 40 minutes,” Louzan said. “A request to change the refs was not put on the table. There was some talk about this, but we were both very honest. The CTA (referees technical committee) designated a refereeing team and that’s that.”
Louzan also spoke about Madrid boycotting all the pre-game activities, including Ancelotti and players not appearing for their scheduled press conferences, and no club representative attending the formal dinner with the federation, Barcelona’s directors and local government dignitaries at Seville’s Real Alcázar palace.
“I spoke with Real Madrid to tell them they had to take part,” Louzan said. “Many bodies were involved, like the Andalusian government, the Seville city hall. They did not agree. We all have better moments and sometimes take decisions which each of us has to judge for themselves. The most important thing is we have a great game tomorrow.”
Is this type of news conference normal?
While it is uncommon for referees in England, for example, to ever speak to the media, in Spain, the Spanish football federation (RFEF) — the body which governs soccer and match officials in the country — has held this type of news conference ahead of the Copa del Rey final for the last few years.
The idea is that, in an age where every decision can be micro-analysed on TV and social media, the RFEF wants to be open and transparent.
What is the history with Real Madrid, RMTV and referees?
Madrid have long been publicly vocal whenever the club feels officiating decisions have not gone their way, and club president Florentino Perez has been critical of what many at the Bernabeu view as refereeing bias against their side. RMTV is frequently a platform where officials are criticised.
The tensions between Madrid and the authorities have been heightened by the ongoing Negreira case, which involves Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, the former vice-president of Spanish football’s refereeing committee who owned a company that was paid a total of €7.3million (£6.4m; $7.8m) by Barcelona between 2001 and 2018. He and Barcelona have denied the payments he received constitute any wrongdoing, with the club saying he was hired as an “external consultant” who provided reports “related to professional refereeing”.
In February, Madrid were angered by two decisions during their 1-0 La Liga loss at Espanyol, after opposition defender Carlos Romero was not sent off for a challenge on Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior had a goal disallowed. Madrid filed a formal complaint to the RFEF and the Spanish government’s High Sports Council (CSD), demanding the “immediate submission of VAR audio”.
Pundits on RMTV claimed the decisions proved that Spain’s Technical Committee of Referees (CTA) chief Luis Medina Cantalejo is involved in a conspiracy against their club. They also called for the sacking of Carlos Clos Gomez, a former referee now head of VAR in Spain, and the departure of RFEF president Rafael Louzan.
Videos similar to the one produced about De Burgos Bengoetxea before the Copa del Rey final are also common. Referee Alejandro Jose Hernandez Hernandez was the subject of an 11-minute RMTV package of allegedly incorrect key decisions he had made during Madrid matches ahead of taking charge of their La Liga fixture against Atletico Madrid in March 2021.
“I’ve seen some of these videos. You try and keep away but, in the end, they reach you,” Hernandez Hernandez told the COPE radio station in November 2023.
What else happened at the news conference?
Fuertes also addressed the media and said that there is “more unity than ever” among his 180 male and female refereeing colleagues “because of the circumstances that we have to live around us”.
He added that they “are going to have to start taking measures” because “we’re not going to allow what happens to keep happening”, and that this group of referees “is going to make history” in men’s and women’s football.
Additional reporting: Tomas Hill Lopez-Menchero
(Top photo: Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
