Thanks to yet another calamitous performance by a Spanish referee, Barça have claimed the top spot in La Liga ahead of Real Madrid after their narrow but controversial 1-0 victory against Rayo Vallecano on Monday. While the Madridistas erupt in fury, the referees issue a statement.
The Spanish league is more like a Netflix series than a football competition this season. Every match weekend, unprecedented twists and scandals pile up due to refereeing, which has become a veritable ticking time bomb. For weeks, Real Madrid have suffered unfair situations at the hands of Spanish referees. Since Matchday 22 and their away fixture against Espanyol Barcelona, major contentious decisions have cost Carlo Ancelotti’s side valuable points. The latest episode took place last Saturday against Osasuna, where José Luis Munuera made a series of dubious calls.
At the same time, Barça, who were far from the top spot a few weeks ago, have taken advantage of the situation to climb to first place. At home on Monday, in the final match of Matchday 24 against Rayo Vallecano, Hansi Flick’s team once again benefitted from terrifying refereeing decisions to secure a 1-0 win. After being awarded a penalty, the Catalans also profited from a legitimate goal being disallowed for Vallecano and, most notably, a clear penalty not being given against them.
Referees feel victimised and endangered
As Melero Lopez’s refereeing performance in this final match of Matchday 24 fuels debate, a statement from Spanish referees has been released. Deep into the night, the Technical Committee of Referees (CTA) published a message from Spain’s professional referees to denounce the pressure they are facing. In light of death threats against José Luis Munuera, the referee of the Osasuna – Real Madrid match, the officials expressed their exasperation.
“We, the professional referees, wish to express our absolute rejection of the attacks and threats that our colleague José Luis Munuera Montero has been receiving through social media, which have affected him personally as well as his family,” they stated. “These attacks add to the hatred and verbal abuse we endure while carrying out our professional duties every weekend, which, in lower divisions, unfortunately escalates even further into physical violence in many more cases,” the statement concluded.
Strikes, protests… tensions reach boiling point
According to our colleagues at Marca, referees, feeling abandoned, are considering staging a protest. In this tense context, where many believe there is a deliberate campaign against Real Madrid to prevent them from winning La Liga, questions arise about how the remaining league fixtures will unfold. On Monday, José Ángel Sánchez, Florentino Pérez’s right-hand man, met with Medina Cantalejo, the head of Spanish referees. However, following this meeting, tensions remained high.
With yet another scandalous refereeing display in Barça’s favour on Monday night, it appears that this conflict is far from over. Thanks to their victory against Rayo Vallecano, FC Barcelona have overtaken Real Madrid on goal difference and now sit at the top of La Liga. It remains to be seen how far referees will go in their mission this season.
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