Real Madrid TV has strongly criticized the officiating in La Liga, stating, "La Liga is being manipulated. Real has lost 4 points because of the Negreira affair. De Burgos is one of the worst referees when officiating Real matches." This commentary followed Real Madrid's 1-1 draw against Girona on 30/11, a match that sparked significant controversy over refereeing decisions.

The primary point of contention arose in the 80th minute when Rodrygo, dribbling from the right wing into the penalty area, fell after a collision with Girona's Joel Roca. Despite the apparent contact, referee De Burgos allowed play to continue, and the video assistant referee (VAR) team did not recommend a penalty. Had Real been awarded and converted the penalty, they could have taken a 2-1 lead and secured 3 points.

Joel Roca's (left) leg made contact before Rodrygo fell during Real's draw with Girona in La Liga's 14th round on 30/11. Photo: Real Madrid TV

Beyond the broadcast channel, coach Xabi Alonso and players Rodrygo, Eder Militao, Jude Bellingham, and Antonio Rudiger also expressed strong reactions to the decisions made by the referee and the VAR team. Real Madrid TV also claimed that the referee intentionally overlooked an incident in the 45th minute where Kylian Mbappe fell on the edge of the penalty area. This play occurred immediately before Girona's counter-attack that led to the opening goal. Real later equalized in the 67th minute from a penalty converted by Mbappe, awarded after Hugo Rincon fouled Vinicius.

The club's accusations come amid ongoing scrutiny of the "Negreira affair," where Real's rival, Barca, is alleged to have bribed Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, the former Vice President of the Spanish Referees' Committee. According to allegations, Barca paid 9,3 million USD to companies linked to Negreira from 2001 to 2018. The Camp Nou-based team has defended these payments as being for technical consulting services and reports on referees. While a Spanish court dismissed the bribery charges in 5/2024, the investigation into sports corruption continues.

Recently, Real President Florentino Perez questioned whether the period Negreira received payments coincided with the most successful era in Barca's history. In response, Barca President Joan Laporta suggested that Perez and Real are afraid.

The draw with Girona marks Real's third consecutive winless match in La Liga, following a 0-0 draw with Rayo Vallecano and a 2-2 draw with Elche. This winless streak caused Alonso's team to lose all the advantage gained from beating Barca 2-1 on 26/10. Barca currently leads the league with 34 points after 14 matches, one point ahead of their rival. Last season, the Camp Nou-based team won the championship by a 4-point margin.

By Thanh Quy (Source: Marca, Real Madrid TV)