Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has responded to the sharp comments made by La Liga president Javier Tebas before the highly anticipated Madrid Derby.
Tensions are rising as Real Madrid’s complaints about refereeing continue to escalate. Ahead of such a high-voltage match, Atletico Madrid is also attempting to deflect attention from the football and focus on off-field issues. However, Ancelotti hasn’t engaged in that attempt yet, although he was quick to respond to Tebas’s provocative remarks.
The controversy around refereeing began long before the match between Real Madrid and Espanyol last Saturday, which reignited the issue. After suffering a 1-0 defeat, Real Madrid expressed strong dissatisfaction with the officiating. On Monday, the club sent an open letter to the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and Spain’s Ministry of Sports (CSD), accusing match officials of ‘fraud’ and ‘corruption.’ In response, Luis Medina Cantalejo, the head of Spain’s refereeing body, denied these accusations, stating, “We are not corrupt.”
While the matter could have ended there, Tebas stoked the flames further on Thursday during a meeting with La Liga clubs, the Spanish Football Federation, and representatives from the refereeing committee. Real Madrid had no representative present, and Tebas used the opportunity to criticize the club for losing control, even suggesting they were to blame.
Ahead of Saturday’s match against Atletico, Ancelotti was asked about Tebas’s comments in a press conference. He clarified that Real Madrid has not “lost control” but is merely trying to “improve certain aspects.”
“This is not something I want to discuss before such an important match like the Madrid Derby. But Tebas can stay calm. Nobody here has lost control. We are only asking for an explanation of what happened in the Espanyol match and advocating for changes in the current system,” Ancelotti said.
In that match, Espanyol’s defender Carlos Romero made a dangerous tackle from behind on Real Madrid’s star forward Kylian Mbappe, which resulted in a yellow card. Later, Romero scored the decisive goal for Espanyol. Additionally, Vinicius Junior’s goal in the first half was disallowed due to a foul on Mbappe during the buildup.
Real Madrid has also called for the release of the audio recordings of the conversation between the referee and the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) during those controversial incidents.
Ancelotti pointed out that despite claims from many in Spanish football that Real Madrid receives preferential treatment under the current system, it’s Real Madrid that is asking for reforms.
“I hear people say that Real Madrid gets extra benefits in terms of refereeing, but when we try to change it, everyone is against us. I’m a bit surprised… We still haven’t received the audio (recordings). I don’t understand why they don’t want to give it to us,” he added.
Ahead of the match, Atletico Madrid’s players also criticized the situation. Goalkeeper Jan Oblak told ESPN that referees should be allowed to do their jobs without outside pressure. His teammate, defender José María Giménez, echoed this sentiment, hoping the controversy would remain just a statement and not influence the game.
Atletico Madrid also took to social media to further heat up the situation, accusing Real Madrid of trying to “pressure” referees by airing highlight reels of officiating errors on their TV channel.
Now, the question is whether these off-field controversies will affect the on-field performance. Real Madrid sits atop the La Liga table with 49 points, having won 15 and drawn 4 of their 22 matches. Atletico, with 14 wins and 6 draws, is second, just one point behind.
The match at Santiago Bernabéu is scheduled to kick off at 2:00 AM Bangladesh time on Saturday. The first leg in September ended in a 1-1 draw at Atletico’s home ground.
