Real Madrid are destroying their image

Real Madrid - Photo 1.

Vinicius is one of the factors that tarnish Real Madrid's image - Photo: REUTERS

Real Madrid clash with referee

Summary of the tension between Real Madrid and the refereeing board in La Liga (Spanish Championship) is as follows: Ahead of the Copa del Rey final, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) announced the appointment of Mr. Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea as the main referee of the match.

Real Madrid immediately expressed their criticism. They posted a clip summarizing the referee's mistakes. At the same time, they analyzed that Real Madrid's winning rate in matches controlled by Mr. Burgos was only 64%. In contrast, the corresponding figure for Barca was 81%.

At the pre-match press conference, referee Burgos burst into tears, telling the story of his son being ridiculed by his friends. An angry colleague of Mr. Burgos called on everyone to unite against unjust pressure.

Real Madrid continues to sink deeper into their farce by saying they want to skip the final. This time, no one in the football world can defend Real Madrid.

Atletico Madrid - the team from the same city - criticized on social media: "Unacceptable. Don't tarnish the image of Spanish football".

This is not the first time Real Madrid have made themselves the target of public criticism this season.

The first wave was when they created a campaign to boycott the Ballon d'Or organizers, just because Vinicius Junior lost to Rodri.

Next, Real Madrid launched a campaign to attack referees from around the beginning of 2025. Every time they were awarded a penalty, a red card, or a penalty was denied, the Spanish Royal team attacked the RFEF, attacked the referees, and complained about being discriminated against...

The boycott of the Copa del Rey final was the last straw. It seems that Real Madrid's leadership realized they were going too far, so they hastily announced that they would still attend the match.

But the aura of a great team - is what Real Madrid seems to have lost after a noisy season.

Real Madrid must look back at themselves

Real Madrid's criticism, anger, and crying about the refereeing is clearly unreasonable, when they are still benefiting greatly from their prestige.

In January, the RFEF suspended Vinicius for two matches for a straight red card after he hit the back of the neck of the Valencia goalkeeper.

Real Madrid is destroying its image - Photo 3.

Mbappe (left) received a very light penalty - Photo: REUTERS

After the match, coach Ancelotti lamented that the team would appeal the decision, believing that the Brazilian star should only be suspended for one match. But most people who watched the situation would agree that coach Ancelotti's behavior was ridiculous.

Hitting an opponent - an act that can lead to a very heavy penalty. In Vinicius' case, the RFEF considers that it has applied the lightest possible punishment.

Recently, Mbappe violently kicked his opponent, leading to another red card. But then his punishment was only 1 match. This time, Real Madrid cannot shamelessly complain anymore, because they have clearly benefited.

Instead, Real Madrid sought to attack the refereeing team in charge of the Copa del Rey final. The purpose was obvious, to put pressure on them in order to continue to enjoy the advantage.

The complaints about the 64% and 81% win rates between the two teams are a joke. The difference is significant, of course, but it doesn't say anything.

If Real Madrid want to look into such details, all the teams in La Liga can point out the times they benefited from referees, the times Ramos and Pepe destroyed opponents in the past but were not punished appropriately...

Of course, the bigger, stronger, and more influential the team, the more advantages will be on their side. An easy-to-understand rule in the sports world.

Off the pitch, Real Madrid has always left a good image in the way they behave. They always treat both veterans and reserve players well, and maintain a smooth operating model despite all the difficulties of the context. Worthy of the title of the royal team of Spain.

But that image has now been tarnished by a series of bad behaviour.