Real Madrid has moved to put an end to rumors that the club would refuse to play in Saturday’s Copa del Rey final against Barcelona.
Real Madrid was upset by the decision to appoint Ricardo de Burgos Bengoechea as the referee and Pablo Gonzalez Fuertes as the VAR.
The club believes the decision should be reviewed before the final and, in a dramatic development on Friday, submitted a formal request to the Spanish Football Federation.
The case centers on Gonzalez Fuertes, the VAR referee in the final, and his criticism of the infamous videos released by Real Madrid TV before selected matches, in which Burgos Bengoechea cried during a press conference due to the criticism and pressure he was under.
As these events continued, Real Madrid demanded a last-minute change of referees, as the stakes escalated, and canceled the training session and press conference for the night.
This stance has put the match in doubt, with reports claiming that Real will refuse to play in the final altogether unless a solution is found.
Ultimately, Real Madrid issued an official statement confirming that withdrawing from El Clásico was not an option, and that the team would definitely play the final at La Cartuja.
It’s worth noting that the Spanish Football Federation would have suspended Real Madrid from the Copa del Rey for a year, with Real Sociedad advancing to the final, had Carlo Ancelotti’s side withdrawn.
