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In a major development, Real Madrid are seriously considering opting out of the Copa del Rey final against Barcelona, scheduled to take place on Saturday at the Estadio de La Cartuja in Sevilla. The club has issued an official notification expressing angst over the comments made by a referee designated to officiate the final, terming them "unacceptable". As per reports, Real Madrid are set to cancel open training, press conference and club dinners today. Subsequently, they have urged RFEF to replace the referees, a request which did not get approval.
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Real Madrid's Official Statement Read
“Real Madrid CF considers the public statements made today by the referees designated for the Copa del Rey Final, scheduled to be held tomorrow, April 26, 2025, to be unacceptable.
These protests, which have surprisingly focused attention on videos from a media outlet protected by freedom of expression, such as Real Madrid TV, deliberately carried out 24 hours earlier against one of the final's participants, demonstrate, once again, the clear and manifest animosity and hostility of these referees toward Real Madrid.
Even more surprising statements, in a threatening tone, alluding to the referees' unity, were used to announce alleged measures or actions that fall far short of the principles of fairness, objectivity, and impartiality that should prevail just hours before a football event that captures the attention of hundreds of millions of people around the world. Given the seriousness of what happened, Real Madrid hopes that those responsible for the RFEF and the refereeing body will act accordingly, adopting the necessary measures to defend the prestige of the institutions they represent.”
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What Caused the Controversy?
The statement has come following the explosive comments made by Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea, the referee who has been assigned to officiate the Copa del Rey final. Addressing an RMTV video that highlighted the mistakes he made during his career, he said:
"When a child arrives at school and his mates tell him that his father is a thief, it makes you sick. What I do is try to educate my son to tell him that his father is an honest man, that he makes mistakes like any other sportsman."
"It’s very hard, I don’t recommend it to anyone … It is not right what we are going through for many colleagues, not only in professional football but also in grassroots football. Let everyone reflect on where we want to go, on what we want from sport and from football.”
The matter did not end there. RFEF president Javier Tebas Medrano, went on a massive outburst on social media, and fans speculate he is talking about Real Madrid president Florentino Perez.
Is the El Clasico Taking place?
The controversy has intensified, and the assertions are rife that Real Madrid could back out from playing the CDR final. However, as of this time, the contest is on, but the next few hours are delicate and may decide the status of the game.
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