Sevilla president José María del Nido Carrasco has accused Real Madrid of trying to manipulate referees and damage Spanish football. His criticism follows Madrid’s complaints over officiating in their loss to Espanyol. With the LaLiga title race heating up, tensions over refereeing decisions continue to escalate.
Sevilla president José María del Nido Carrasco has strongly criticized Real Madrid, accusing them of undermining the integrity of Spanish football. His remarks come after Madrid filed a formal complaint regarding refereeing decisions in their recent La Liga defeat to Espanyol.
Madrid’s complaint centers on two controversial incidents, including a non-call on Espanyol’s Carlos Romero, who later scored the winning goal. The club has demanded the release of VAR audio recordings, arguing that the officiating was biased against them. In response, Sevilla’s president denounced Madrid’s claims as an attack on referees and the league’s credibility.
Speaking ahead of Sevilla’s 4-1 loss to Barcelona, Del Nido Carrasco described Madrid’s accusations as "intolerable and unacceptable." He warned that such statements could influence refereeing decisions and called on the football community to condemn Madrid’s actions.
Madrid has frequently used its in-house media channel to highlight what they perceive as unfair refereeing decisions. The club also raised concerns after their 1-1 draw with Atlético Madrid, where a controversial penalty was awarded against them following a VAR review.
Del Nido Carrasco insists that Madrid is attempting to manipulate referees by putting them under pressure. He reaffirmed Sevilla’s support for match officials, stating that questioning their integrity harms the competition.
With Madrid, Atlético, and Barcelona all within two points of each other at the top of La Liga, tensions over refereeing decisions continue to escalate, adding another layer of controversy to an already intense title race.
