Real Madrid demand resignation of LaLiga president over referee comments

Real Madrid have demanded the resignation of LaLiga president Javier Tebas, labelling his remarks regarding their complaints about officiating as 'intolerable'. The Spanish club expressed their anger following a controversial 2-1 defeat to city rivals Atletico in the Madrid derby.

The match saw Jose Mourinho criticise the performance of referee Ortiz Arias, suggesting he was unfit for the role, and the club subsequently issued a statement denouncing the 'very terrible refereeing'. They believed that Cristian Romero and Lee Kang-In should have received red cards for their challenges on Jude Bellingham and Federico Valverde respectively.

In response to claims of a 'conspiracy' against Madrid, Tebas stated, "claiming that referees are directed against Real Madrid is living in another galaxy." This comment prompted Madrid to retaliate, asserting: "Our club considers it intolerable that the president of LaLiga uses his institutional position to continue discrediting and attacking Real Madrid."

They further stated, "Given this inappropriate and persistent behaviour, we believe that the professional football competition in Spain urgently needs a leader capable of managing it and realising its full potential with the fundamental duty of neutrality." The club described Tebas' latest comments as "particularly serious and incomprehensible - unbecoming of a responsible administrator."

Tebas had elaborated, saying, "That narrative serves as an excuse to cover up other shortcomings that are plain to see in these first matches of the season. It's more comfortable to point to a conspiracy than to explain what's happening on the pitch."

During the derby, Madrid were reduced to ten men when Dean Huijsen fouled Giuliano Simeone in the penalty area, allowing Alejandro Grimaldo to score from the spot. Jonathan David later extended Atletico's lead, with Antonio Rudiger scoring a consolation goal for Madrid.

Mourinho was visibly frustrated in his post-match press conference, presenting evidence of missed fouls and insisting that the referee was not of the required standard for such a high-stakes match. He remarked, "We could save ourselves the press conference... All I can do is hug my players, who gave everything."

He further added, "The one who should be happy is the Refereeing Appointments Committee because the whole thing was very strange," and questioned the decision to appoint a referee with limited experience for such an important derby.

In an official statement, Real Madrid condemned the officiating, saying, "Real Madrid lose the derby at the Metropolitano in a match marked by Ortiz Arias' VERY TERRIBLE REFEREEING." They highlighted that the failure to send off Romero and Lee Kang-In significantly impacted the match outcome.

Source: Daily Mail