The Spanish website “Defensa Central”, known for its support of Real Madrid, has asserted that the significant gap between the Royal Club’s performance in the Champions League and its form in La Liga cannot be explained solely by technical or physical factors, but is directly linked to what it described as “obvious refereeing bias” within the domestic competition.
The website stated, in a lengthy report, that Real Madrid, which has dominated Europe and won three consecutive Champions League titles, finds itself in a strange position domestically; it is subjected to a series of refereeing decisions that can only be described as unbalanced, at a time when Barcelona has enjoyed “preferential treatment” for many years.
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Barcelona the biggest beneficiary of red cards
“Defensa Central” pointed out that the figures do not lie, explaining that Barcelona has the best record for red cards in the 21st century, with a difference of (+69) between red cards in their favour and against them – an unprecedented figure in the history of La Liga.
In contrast, Real Madrid occupy very low positions in this ranking, with a balance of just +1, which the website sees as “blatant evidence of the disparity in refereeing treatment between the two clubs”.
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Spanish refereeing is not like European refereeing
The website explained that the difference between the two competitions is clear, noting that in the Champions League, Real Madrid are subject to “impartial and professional” refereeing, whereas in La Liga “the same mistakes are repeated, favouring one side”.
Defensa Central cited Barcelona’s recent match against Atlético Madrid, where Video Assistant Referee (VAR) intervened to overturn a straight red card against Gerard Martín despite his dangerous tackle on an opponent’s ankle.
The Negreira case
The website touched upon what it described as a “black mark” in the history of Spanish football, referring to the Negreira case, in which Barcelona was implicated in paying sums of money to the former vice-chairman of the Referees’ Committee.
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The report stated: “At Real Madrid, they cannot believe that Negreira’s payments have not yet resulted in any consequences. They are trying to convince us that millions of euros did not influence the results, but reality is slapping them in the face: the club that paid Negreira is the very same one with the worst record for red cards!”
It added: “Is it just a shameful coincidence? Or is it a whole system designed to hinder Madrid and pave the way for others? It seems that paying off those in charge of the referees has borne fruit, and we are still waiting for justice, which appears to be lost in the corridors of the Spanish Football Federation.”
