VAR in the Copa del Rey final attacks Real Madrid TV and Madrilenians react
González Fuentes criticized videos on the ‘merengues’ channel, which call for a change of referees. Spanish Federation and Arbitration Council maintain confidence in referees
At the press conference for the referees of the Copa del Rey final between Real Madrid and Barcelona , marked by Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea’s tears after speaking about the way referees are treated, the match’s VAR, Pablo González Fuertes, directly attacked Real Madrid TV for the videos it regularly publishes attacking the referees. And the club did not stop there.
“You have to know the consequences of these videos. There are people cursing and threatening us without any control. There are people on social media attacking us for one more like . There are actions by football agents that give rise to the idea that we are not honest. When a journalist talks about ‘robbery’, the fan picks up on it and one child will provoke another. We have to attack these situations and return to a healthier and cleaner football. When they talk about robbery, it is a mistake made by all agents. One day there will be a serious problem, there will be consequences, and then we put our hands on our heads and condemn. We have to change this situation of animosity towards the referees,” said the video referee leader, referring to the recurring videos on Real Madrid television in which refereeing errors are scrutinised against the Merengues .
These words have already drawn a reaction from the people of Madrid, who consider that Pablo González Fuertes cannot be part of the video refereeing team for the Copa del Rey final after saying such words, as they consider that the referee will not be able to make impartial decisions. However, according to the Spanish press, neither the Spanish Federation (RFEF) nor the Arbitration Council (CTA) intend any change. According to Marca , «the confidence of the RFEF and the CTA in the referees remains intact».
