Real Madrid TV: Barcelona Players Have Now Turned into Referees

 Real Madrid TV (RMTV) has launched a scathing attack following the release of RefCam footage from Barcelona's clash with Real Betis. The video shows Barcelona players lobbying referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea for a VAR check over an alleged handball in the buildup to Giovani Lo Celso's goal, which was subsequently overturned. 

The reaction from Madrid was immediate, with the club's official channel voicing strong outrage ahead of the upcoming Clasico: 

"Real Madrid will have to face 17 referees in El Clasico – the three on the pitch, the fourth official, the VAR officials and their assistant, as well as the eleven Barcelona players who have also taken on the role of referees. It is extremely difficult against 17 referees. Barca players now decide for themselves which situations should be reviewed by VAR and which should not. They are officiating the games, which is an absolute scandal. In any other league, this would have serious repercussions. We all know why Sunday's match will be so complicated."

The club's media arm also drew attention to the ongoing discussions surrounding Arda Guler and his clash with Sevilla's Peque, hitting out at the media's handling of the incident: 

"We are up against everything and everyone. Up against a system where synchronized commentators talk only about the controversial moment with Guler and Peque, completely ignoring the fact that our player was repeatedly held back. Now they claim replay angles are missing – an issue with concealed footage that RMTV has been warning about for years, only to be dismissed as conspiracy theorists. All it takes is one contentious decision to change the entire narrative." 

In conclusion, a sharp comparison was drawn between the Spanish league and the European stage: 

"Champions League fixtures are just around the corner – the most prestigious tournament in the world. It is time to distance ourselves from the scandals in La Liga, from the Negreira case, from Tebas, and the controversies surrounding VAR. In European competitions, this kind of officiating drama simply does not exist. If Real had played that match in Rome on Spanish soil, they would not have won 4-3, and if Barcelona's clash against Betis had taken place in Europe, the Catalans would have lost."