Real Madrid Meets Spanish Referee Board After Complaints

JAKARTA - The Real Madrid leadership met with the Head of the Spanish Referee Technical Agency on Monday, February 17, 2025, local time, after they filed an official complaint against the referee's decision to lose 0-1 against Espanyol in La Liga earlier this month.

Real Madrid are furious at referee Alejando Muniz Ruiz for choosing not to issue defender Espanyol Carlos Romero for violating Kylian Mbappe--with Romero then scoring his only goal in the game.

Los Blancos then sent an open letter to the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) on February 4, 2025 asking for access to recorded conversations between match devices related to the incident.

The complaint alleges officials were manipulating and falsifying the competition, saying the Spanish refereeing system was really discredited.

The allegations then drew angry responses from RFEF, La Liga, and other clubs.

Real Madrid Director-General Jose Angel Senchez and Secretary of the Club Council, Jose Luis del Valle, visited the RFEF headquarters in Las Rozas, outside Madrid, to listen to VAR audio recordings.

In addition, they also discussed with the Head of the Spanish Referee Technical Agency (CTA), Luis Medina Cantalejo.

"It's natural if there are questions to be asked about an incident. We're talking about various issues, which are internal"

"Not internally because it is confidential, but because it is a personal matter - related to the CTA. The club that came here to talk to us. We spoke with them."

"Obviously the (meeting) took quite a long time because it was in a friendly and polite atmosphere. That's what should happen."

"If there is a confrontation, which no one expects or wants, the meeting will end in five minutes."

"It's been a long time since we spoke very transparently and honestly," Medina Cantalejo told reporters.

As is well known, Real Madrid often complains about referee decisions in La Liga, through Real Madrid TV channels, which regularly highlight mistakes from match officials.

After Espanyol's match, Los Blancos were also unhappy with the referee's decision in their 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid on February 8, 2025 and a 1-1 draw against Osasuna on Saturday, February 15, 2025.

"In our last three games, a lot has happened to everyone."

"However, I don't want to say anything more about it because I want to sit on the bench for the next game."

"I think there's been a problem (with the referee). In the last three games, something has happened that shouldn't have happened," said Manager Carlo Ancelotti.

Following the meeting, according to ESPN reports, Real Madrid still could not understand the decision not to issue Romero.

The club has demanded changes, but believes their complaints have exposed them, given the referee's decision in subsequent matches.

On the other hand, the RFEF felt the talks were positive and Real Madrid had been treated in the same way as the rest of the clubs.