Okay, here’s the thing. Real Madrid is mad. Like really upset. They went and asked the Royal Spanish Football Federation to swap out the refs for Saturday’s Copa del Rey final. Big deal, right? So here’s how this soap opera unfolds.
First, they’re not too fond of referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea and the VAR guy, Pablo Gonzalez Fuertes. Why? Well, they had this press conference — kinda heartfelt, actually. Ricardo, poor guy, got all misty-eyed talking about how the constant criticism has been rough on his family. Can’t blame him. And Pablo, backing his buddy up, said they need to clamp down on the referee harassment. Sounds reasonable? Not so much for Real Madrid.
Apparently, the club saw this as a neon sign flashing “We don’t like you!” directed squarely at them. Gonzalez Fuertes’ comments especially rubbed them the wrong way. Real Madrid loves a good critique session before matches on their own channel, Real Madrid TV, and didn’t want to see these guys officiating.
But here’s the kicker. The RFEF was like, “Nah, you’re good.” They refused the appeal because, honestly, not enough legit reasons to kick out the refs on the eve of a final. A bit close to the bell, don’t you think?
So, Real Madrid, being the dramatic folks they are, kinda stormed off. They skipped their training at La Cartuja and didn’t show up for the press confab that Friday evening. Imagine them sulking in a corner. And they threw out this official statement, slamming the referees and calling for action. They were not holding back! They’re sayin’ the refs’ press talk was a targeted hit on them as a team. They even kinda accused the refs of having this secret vendetta against them. Meanwhile, the rest of us are just waiting to see if they’re gonna show up for the game — or pull a no-show. Can’t even say what they’ll do next. Drama!
So we’re all left in this “now-what” limbo, with everyone thinking, “Will they or won’t they?” Real Madrid loves a good cliffhanger, I guess.
