'It's S***': Valencia's Pablo Maffeo slams refereeing after Real Madrid defeat

Valencia defender Pablo Maffeo has launched a furious attack on the refereeing standards following his team's 3-0 La Liga defeat to Real Madrid.  

The right-back was visibly enraged during a mandatory half-time broadcast interview with DAZN on Saturday night and directed criticism at the refereeing on show.  

His frustration stemmed from a foul awarded against him for a challenge on Kylian Mbappé in the 26th minute. The disputed decision shifted the momentum of the crucial league fixture at the Mestalla Stadium.  

From the resulting set piece, Mbappé drilled a powerful free kick directly into the Valencia defensive wall. The rebound fell kindly to Real Madrid captain Federico Valverde, who fired a crisp low strike from the edge of the penalty area to break the deadlock in the 28th minute.  

Trailing 2-0 at the break following a subsequent goal from Arda Güler, Maffeo reluctantly appeared for his scheduled media duties.  

The Spanish defender abandoned standard professional restraint, delivering a scathing assessment of the officiating. 

"I don't feel like doing this interview at all. It's shit," Maffeo stated on live television. "This interview is pointless. They're calling fouls on us that aren't fouls. It's shit," he continued.

Maffeo remained adamant that his defensive intervention on Mbappé was entirely legal and severely compromised his team.

Maffeo's explosive outburst highlights a growing trend across LALIGA in recent seasons.

Players and managers have increasingly utilised their media obligations to critique the standard of Spanish refereeing, with Real Madrid themselves leading the charge via the club's in-house audiovisual media platform. 

Despite Maffeo's protests, Real Madrid maintained their absolute dominance in the second half.   Mbappé added a third goal in the 75th minute to secure a comprehensive 3-0 victory for José Mourinho's side.  

The defeat leaves Valencia languishing in 19th place, sitting perilously close to relegation after 12 matches.