Tebas Accuses Real Madrid of Crossing Line Over Derby Referee Complaints
La Liga president Javier Tebas has criticised Real Madrid’s public response to refereeing decisions in the latest Madrid derby, insisting the club were entitled to voice frustration but crossed a line with the manner of their complaints.
La Liga chief rejects Madrid referee campaign
Tebas said the aftermath of the derby had become unnecessarily charged after a series of disputed calls by referee Ortiz Arias. Real Madrid and coach Jose Mourinho protested several incidents, but the La Liga chief rejected any suggestion that those decisions alone decided the match.
“I can understand the complaints, but not how they were expressed,” Tebas said. He added that Madrid’s defeat could not be pinned solely on the controversial moments.
Atletico Madrid added to the dispute with a social-media post calling for an end to “refereeing harassment”. Tebas said he had not seen that specific message, but returned to La Liga’s concerns over Real Madrid Television’s coverage of officials.
La Liga has already lodged a complaint over the channel’s referee-focused segments before and after games. Tebas described that approach as an unfair and harsh means of putting pressure on match officials, and said the league must continue to address it through its ethical processes.
How Tebas viewed the major flashpoints
- Huijsen’s sending-off was, in Tebas’s view, a clear red-card decision under the laws of the game.
- Tebas did not believe Cuti Romero should have been dismissed for his challenge on Jude Bellingham, arguing that the defender reached the ball first.
- Kang-in Lee’s tackle on Federico Valverde was more open to interpretation after the South Korean appeared to catch the midfielder around the ankle with his studs.
- Ortiz Arias showed no card to Kang-in Lee and VAR did not recommend a pitchside review.
On the Valverde incident, Tebas said a dismissal would have been supportable, although he also accepted that the speed of the challenge made the referee’s decision understandable.
Focus turns to the post-match fallout
Tebas declined to go further when asked whether the referee had become the central figure in the discussion after the final whistle. He said the people making the public comments were the protagonists of that debate and he would not add an individual assessment.
The immediate next step is likely to be continued scrutiny of Real Madrid Television and the club’s reaction to officiating, with La Liga maintaining its stance that criticism must not become pressure on referees.
