Real Madrid Television confirmed on Saturday evening that the club is putting together a detailed dossier on refereeing decisions both from the opening four matchdays of this La Liga season and from last season. According to RMTV, the document will be submitted to FIFA in order to highlight what the club considers ongoing issues within Spanish football.
The move comes after Real Madrid’s 2–1 win over Real Sociedad, where the team was left furious by the sending-off of Dean Huijsen. The red card was shown
despite Mikel Oyarzabal being wide on the touchline and Eder Militao covering centrally. Madrid players were baffled that VAR did not instruct the referee to review the decision, and even the usually composed Xabi Alonso was booked for his protests.
On their club channel, Real Madrid also referenced statistics on red cards dating back to the Negreira era. The numbers, they say, show a stark contrast between Barcelona and Madrid: Barcelona hold a +65 record when playing with a man advantage in domestic competition, while Madrid sit at -2. In the Champions League, both clubs have fared better (+12 for Barça, +13 for Madrid), but Madrid’s complaint is rooted in why their domestic numbers diverge so heavily.
While Mbappé’s disallowed goal for offside against Arda Güler drew less ire, Madrid again expressed frustration with VAR technology, arguing that the frame selection in offside reviews disproportionately goes against them.
This stance is consistent with Madrid’s policy heading into the season. The club made it clear it would not accept the restructuring of the CTA (Referees’ Technical Committee) without the removal of all officials who had ties to José María Enríquez Negreira. Beyond calls over their own matches, Madrid also plan to highlight other incidents, such as phases of the Rayo–Barça game that were played without VAR, including what they call a “phantom penalty” for Lamine Yamal.
