Real Madrid have lodged a formal complaint with the Spanish football federation (RFEF) following controversial refereeing decisions in their 1-0 La Liga loss to Espanyol on Saturday.
The club has called for a “structural reform” of Spanish refereeing, criticizing match official Alejandro Muniz Ruiz and VAR official Javier Iglesias Villanueva.
Madrid’s primary grievances involve a tackle by Espanyol’s Carlos Romero on Kylian Mbappe, which the club described as a “brutal” challenge deserving of a red card.
Romero was only booked, and VAR upheld the decision, a verdict that Real Madrid deemed “manifestly erroneous.”
Head coach Carlo Ancelotti called the decision “inexplicable.”
The club also expressed frustration over Vinicius Junior’s goal being ruled out.
The goal was disallowed for a foul by Mbappe earlier in the move, but Madrid believes the proper call should have been a penalty in their favor.
In a letter addressed to RFEF president Rafael Louzan, Real Madrid stated, “What happened at the RCDE Stadium represents the culmination of a completely discredited refereeing system.”
They argued the decisions against them have reached a level of manipulation that can no longer be ignored.
Despite the defeat, Madrid remain top of La Liga, one point ahead of Atletico Madrid, with Barcelona trailing by four points.
Article updated 1 month ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
