Real Madrid have had a perfect start to the 2025–26 La Liga campaign. They’ve won all six matches—something no other team has managed this year—and sit atop the standings with 18 points. However, the club is not pleased with some refereeing decisions, particularly in comparison to Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.
“Matchday after matchday, we continue to see how Spanish referees handle red cards,” begins a video shared by Real Madrid TV, the club’s official channel. “In these six rounds, a Real Madrid player has been unfairly sent off, a Barcelona player has been spared two red cards, and the latest case—the aggression from Koke that was ignored in the last Atletico Madrid–Rayo Vallecano match.”
The first situation mentioned in the video is the red card given to Dean Huijsen during the Matchday 4 clash between Real Madrid and Real Sociedad. The Spanish giants had to play nearly 60 minutes with one man down, following a controversial incident.
“We’ve seen inexplicable situations like Huijsen’s sending-off at Anoeta. Gil Manzano showed him a straight red, and VAR did not intervene, even though the Madrid player was not the last man and the play did not clearly deny a goal-scoring opportunity. The CTA itself later admitted the error,” said Real Madrid TV.
Xabi Alonso, head coach of Real Madrid.
Real Madrid believe Barcelona were favored
To support their case, Real Madrid TV highlights controversial moments involving Barcelona in La Liga this season, implying a possible bias toward Los Blaugranas: “The difference with Barcelona is a strange anomaly that’s hard to understand—although, seeing what happens on the field every match, nothing surprises us anymore.”
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The video focuses on two specific incidents. “In Barcelona’s matches, Raphinha wasn’t shown red in two separate cases. First, for a brutal challenge on a Mallorca player. VAR didn’t intervene either. And last weekend, he avoided a second yellow after shoving a Getafe player while the ball was out of play,” speculates Real Madrid TV.
Spotlight also on Atletico Madrid
The report then shifts focus to Real Madrid’s other major rival, Atletico Madrid. “At the Metropolitano, Koke wasn’t sent off after grabbing the Rayo Vallecano goalkeeper by the neck and throwing him to the ground. The on-field referee didn’t send him off, and VAR didn’t step in either,” explains RMTV.
A direct comparison is made to a previous situation involving Real Madrid: “Quite different from what happened with Vinicius last season at Mestalla for a similar action. In that case, VAR did intervene—and it didn’t show how the goalkeeper had provoked the Brazilian… Vini ended up being sent off.”
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La Liga 2025 TV Schedule USA and Streaming Links
La Liga 2025–26 stats
Over the first six matchdays of La Liga, it’s true that Barcelona have faced little punishment from referees. They are the team with the fewest yellow cards (just five) and are one of 11 clubs that haven’t had a player sent off.
Atletico Madrid, on the other hand, saw Alexander Sorloth sent off last week against Levante. In terms of yellow cards, they rank 8th in the league with 11 in six matches—right around the league average.
Despite the claims raised by Real Madrid TV, Los Blancos’ disciplinary record in the 2025–26 La Liga season is not very different from their main rivals. Xabi Alonso’s side is among the four teams with the fewest yellow cards (8) and have had just one player sent off.
