The ongoing controversy between Real Madrid and La Liga president Javier Tebas escalated once again, this time surrounding referee decisions that the Spanish side deemed detrimental. Carlo Ancelotti addressed the issue, delivering a clear message to Tebas.
The dispute began after Real Madrid’s 1-0 defeat to Espanyol on Matchday 22 of La Liga, when, in the 60th minute, defender Carlos Romero tackled Kylian Mbappe from behind, making direct contact with his calf. Despite the reckless nature of the challenge, VAR did not intervene, and referee Alejandro Muñiz Ruiz only issued a yellow card.
The referee’s decision prompted Real Madrid to lodge a formal complaint, alleging that the match had “a level of manipulation and adulteration which cannot be ignored.” In response, Tebas spoke to Marca, stating: “In the note, it was clear that there was no adulterated competition. They have lost their minds.”
Following these remarks, Ancelotti was asked about Tebas’s comments, offering a direct response. “Before such an important match, I wouldn’t want to touch on this topic. Tebas can rest easy because no one has lost their head here. We’ve only asked for an explanation to improve a system that, from what I hear, no one is happy with.
“Others aren’t happy because they think it’s a system that favors Real Madrid, but when Madrid wants to change the system, the others want to reject it,” the Italian coach said during his pre-match press conference ahead of the Atletico Madrid derby.
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Ancelotti was also asked about the VAR audios regarding the tackle, which, according to protocol, were to be published but have yet to be made public. He expressed his frustration: “We haven’t received them, and why they don’t want to give them… I don’t know, you’ll have to ask them.”
Tebas’s swift response to Ancelotti
Following the tension between Real Madrid and La Liga, the situation shows no signs of calming down anytime soon. Thirty minutes after Carlo Ancelotti’s press conference, Javier Tebas swiftly took to social media to deliver yet another response to the Real Madrid coach.
“Carlo, don’t worry… The Spanish competition is not manipulated, and we all want improvements in the refereeing organization, which we’ve been demanding for a long time. That said, it’s curious that Real Madrid, so concerned now, was part of the RFEF (Royal Spanish Soccer Federation) Board of Directors until November 2023… and didn’t say a word,” Tebas wrote.
“By then, months had already passed since the ‘Negreira’ case was made public, but in the meantime, Real Madrid TV continued to delight us with their ‘objective’ videos about referees. Why no proposals in either RFEF or LaLiga? Now, the excuse about the ownership model change and the supposed ‘expropriation’ of La Liga is something no one believes anymore. Could this be a new excuse?” concluded Tebas his message on his X account.
