Real Madrid has stated that they “never thought about” pulling out of the Copa del Rey final against Barcelona in El Clasico, despite the controversy surrounding the officiating.

In a dramatic build-up to the Copa del Rey final, Real Madrid have firmly denied any intentions of withdrawing from their clash against Barcelona, despite a tearful interview from the referee set to officiate the match. Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea was visibly shaken when discussing the abuse directed at his family following disparaging comments aired on Real Madrid TV.

The situation escalated as reports emerged suggesting that Real Madrid might even consider boycotting the highly anticipated El Clasico. In response, the Spanish giants released two official statements to clarify their position. The second statement emphatically stated, “In light of the rumours that have arisen in the last few hours, Real Madrid C.F. communicates that our team never considered refusing to play tomorrow’s final.”

Real Madrid expressed their commitment to the integrity of the sport, stating, “Our club understands that the unfortunate and inappropriate statements from the referees appointed for this match, made 24 hours before the final, cannot tarnish a sporting event of global importance that will be watched by hundreds of millions of people.” They also highlighted the respect owed to fans travelling to Seville for the match.

The controversy stemmed from a video on Real Madrid TV that scrutinised the officiating record of De Burgos Bengoetxea, particularly noting the disparity in win percentages between Barcelona and Los Blancos during his matches. The referee, in his emotional interview, shared the impact of the criticism on his family, saying, “When a child of yours goes to school and there are kids telling him that his father is a ‘thief’ and comes home crying, it’s totally messed up.”

This is not the first time Real Madrid has raised concerns about officiating. Back in February, they lodged a formal complaint with the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) following a narrow defeat to Espanyol. In a show of solidarity, Pablo Gonzalez Fuertes, the final’s video assistant referee (VAR), defended the refereeing community, stating, “There is more unity than ever among referees, possibly due to the situation we have around us.”

Real Madrid’s initial response to the ongoing saga labelled the comments from the refereeing community as “unacceptable.” They condemned the statements as indicative of “clear and manifest animosity and hostility towards Real Madrid,” calling for appropriate measures to uphold the honour of the institutions involved.

Meanwhile, Barcelona manager Hansi Flick sided with the officials, urging for greater protection for referees. “For me, it’s only a sport,” he remarked. “It’s only a game. It’s only football. It is our responsibility to protect not only the players, but all the people involved in the game. It’s not nice that happened today. Of course, sometimes on the pitch there are some decisions that are about emotion but after the match, we should be done with it. Something must be done.”

As the tension mounts ahead of the final, all eyes will be on the pitch, hoping that the focus remains on the football rather than the controversies surrounding it.