The Spanish Referees Association has launched strong criticism against Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez, calling on him to respect referees and to refrain from fueling controversy or creating what it described as a “climate of confrontation” within Spanish football.
The association issued a strongly worded statement in response to Pérez’s recent comments, in which he attacked Spain’s refereeing system and suggested that what his team faces goes beyond normal refereeing errors.
In its lengthy statement, the association defended the independence of referees and rejected the accusations leveled against them, describing such claims as unfounded. It reaffirmed its commitment to independence, transparency, and the continuous improvement of refereeing standards in Spain.
The association, established to defend Spanish referees, stressed its rejection of Pérez’s remarks, warning that they cause “serious harm not only to referees, but to Spanish football as a whole.”
It added that using refereeing decisions as an excuse to explain sporting outcomes is deeply concerning, emphasizing that clubs should not hold referees responsible for their results or seek external justifications through officiating.
The statement further noted that public remarks made by officials, clubs, or highly visible media figures do not exist in a vacuum, but rather have a direct impact on society and football culture.
It warned that when such discourse is built on undermining or constantly questioning the legitimacy of refereeing, it spreads to stadiums, stands, and grassroots football, where it unfortunately manifests in the form of insults, threats, and physical attacks against male and female referees.
The association called on all football stakeholders to demonstrate institutional responsibility in order to halt a cycle that threatens the physical and psychological safety, as well as the reputation, of those tasked with safeguarding the integrity of competition.
It also expressed clear support for the measures taken by the Spanish Football Federation in cooperation with institutions and authorities to protect the authority of referees, reiterating its rejection of baseless accusations and its commitment to independence, transparency, and ongoing improvement of refereeing in Spain.
Support for the Referee of the Real Madrid vs Alavés Match
In a related development, Spain’s Technical Committee of Referees (CTA) confirmed the correctness of the decision made by Víctor García Verdura, the referee of the match between Real Madrid and Deportivo Alavés, in which Real Madrid appealed for a penalty in favor of Vinícius Júnior.
The incident sparked widespread debate, particularly as the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), operated by González Fuertes, did not intervene or summon Verdura to review the play, further fueling Real Madrid’s frustration.
However, the referees committee stated that the incident “could be considered a penalty depending on the interpretation of the intensity of the contact,” ultimately endorsing the decisions taken by the on-field referee and VAR officials.
The committee explained that Law 12 stipulates that fouls are punished when a player acts recklessly, with excessive force, or in a careless manner, noting that in situations involving physical contact, interpretation depends largely on the intensity of that contact.
It added that the force of contact cannot always be measured objectively, as it falls under the referee’s discretion, and that this particular incident lies within the scope of refereeing judgment. As a result, VAR intervention was deemed unnecessary due to the absence of a clear and obvious error.
