Real Madrid, thanks to its television channel, Real Madrid TV, has come under scrutiny. Why? Due to the unfortunate audiovisual material recently released by 'RMTV', in which the professional actions of José María Sánchez Martínez, the referee in charge of officiating their match against FC Barcelona this Saturday, October 26, are called into question.
This video, just over three minutes long, has done anything but paint a positive image associated with Real Madrid, sparking a series of criticisms suggesting a sense of bias around the work of Sánchez Martínez, who will officiate his seventh Clásico in his professional career.
One of the first voices to speak out on this matter was that of FC Barcelona's coach, Hansi Flick, emphasizing the importance of not adding additional weight to refereeing with such issues. The German coach asserted that the team will focus solely on the sport and highlighted that, from his perspective, he does not feel that referees have ever harmed them in local tournaments. Now, the latest voice against this regrettable situation has been that of LaLiga President, Javier Tebas.
Javier Tebas' Harsh Criticism of Real Madrid for their Criticism of Referee Sánchez Martínez
The LaLiga President took the opportunity during his appearance on Friday at the X Gala of the Altruism Awards at the José Ramón de la Morena Sports Center to express his discontent with Real Madrid TV, harshly criticizing the Madrid team: "I haven't seen the latest video, but if it's like the others... That is not 'fair play' or the historical sportsmanship of Real Madrid. They have been breaking it for a while and the issue of refereeing is tiresome, repetitive, and is not within the values of Real Madrid, as any Madridista with a conscience would say," Tebas commented.
On a different note, Javier Tebas also expressed his desire for a Clásico where sporting spectacle prevails without any controversy of any kind. "Yes, it is our wish, for tomorrow's Clásico and all the matches we play on all matchdays. In both categories we manage, we try to ensure that there are no incidents, no violence, no insults, which mostly doesn't happen, and we hope that tomorrow's match will be a peaceful one to enjoy and suffer, depending on the result," the Spanish-Costa Rican warned.
Who Wins the Clásico for Javier Tebas: Barcelona or Real Madrid?
Additionally, Javier Tebas did not venture a prediction on which club could emerge victorious in this encounter, making it clear that each has arguments to claim the three points in this match. "I think Barcelona is in a great moment, but with Real Madrid's DNA, anything can happen. If it's based on current form, it feels like Barcelona is the favorite, but if it's about Real Madrid's essence and what we saw the other day in the second half, Real Madrid could win. It's one of the more open Clásicos, and what better spectacle can we witness," concluded the league president.