Sevilla’s president, José María del Nido Carrasco, criticized Real Madrid on Sunday, accusing the club of “trying to destroy Spanish football” through their complaints about refereeing decisions.
Madrid recently filed a formal complaint to the Spanish Football Federation regarding the referee’s performance in their 1-0 La Liga loss to Espanyol on February 1. They requested the release of audio recordings from the referee and VAR conversations regarding two key incidents, including the decision not to send off defender Carlos Romero — who later scored the match-winning goal — for a foul on Kylian Mbappé.
In an open letter, Madrid labeled Spain’s refereeing system as “totally discredited,” alleging that decisions against them represented “manipulation and adulteration of the competition.” This statement was rejected by other clubs in a La Liga and federation meeting on Thursday.
Del Nido Carrasco responded to Madrid’s complaints before Sevilla’s 4-1 loss to Barcelona, speaking to DAZN: “We need to differentiate between trying to modify the refereeing system and what Real Madrid has said. It’s intolerable and unacceptable. It undermines the honor of the referees and the competition. Football should denounce this, both publicly and in court, as it goes against the integrity of the sport.”
Real Madrid has frequently voiced dissatisfaction with refereeing decisions, including during Saturday’s derby against Atlético Madrid at the Bernabéu, when a penalty was awarded to the visitors after a VAR review of Aurélien Tchouaméni’s challenge on Samuel Lino.
“The worst part is that Real Madrid is trying to destroy Spanish football with Real Madrid TV and other means,” Del Nido Carrasco said. “We can’t allow a club like Real Madrid to undermine us. We stand firm in our unconditional support for referees and won’t tolerate their honor being questioned. [Madrid] wants to pressure referees, preventing them from making decisions freely.”
Following Madrid’s 1-1 draw with Atlético and Barcelona’s victory, the three top teams in La Liga are now separated by just two points, with Madrid leading, Atlético in second, and Barça in third.
