The head of Spain's refereeing body said on Tuesday that "no team in the world" puts pressure on referees like Real Madrid, criticising the club's television channel for broadcasting videos highlighting controversial refereeing decisions ahead of each game.
Referee Javier Alberola Rojas has been selected to officiate Madrid's Spanish Supercopa semifinal with Atletico Madrid in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, despite Madrid's unhappiness at his performance when the two teams met in LaLiga earlier this season.
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"We don't like it at all. There's no sport, no team in the world that does this," referees' technical committee president Luis Medina Cantalejo told Cadena COPE radio on Tuesday, when asked about Madrid TV's prematch videos criticising referees. "Teams have their [local] press which supports them, but what's happening with this TV channel has never happened.
"What they're doing seems absolutely negative to me. I've never seen it in 40 years of refereeing, putting pressure on before a game, every week. It's negative, not just for refereeing, but for the image of Spanish football ... We've put it in the hands of legal advice, to look into the matter."
Madrid were unhappy with several decisions taken by Alberola Rojas during their 3-1 league defeat to Atletico at the Metropolitano on Sept. 24 including an alleged foul on Jude Bellingham, a disallowed goal by Eduardo Camavinga and the failure to send off Josema Gimenez for a challenge on Rodrygo Goes.
"It's the decision of the committee," Medina Cantalejo said, when asked why the same referee would take charge in Riyadh. "After we watched the league game, our opinion was that he did a good job, that's what we said and that's why he's been chosen. We can't be affected by external pressure."
The refereeing chief said he had "no problem" with Florentino Perez, and had "nothing to say" to the Madrid president.
"I talk to [club representatives] Roberto Carlos, [Santiago] Solari ... I don't have anything to say to the president of Real Madrid," he said. "But if from the inside, they aren't aware of what they're broadcasting ... they do it every week. Of course it seems inappropriate to me. There's huge pressure."
ESPN has approached Madrid for comment.
Perez used his speech at the club's annual general meeting of members in November to call for reform of Spain's refereeing bodies.
"It's essential for the wellbeing of Spanish football that things like the quality of refereeing and the use of VAR are dealt with," Perez said. "Nobody understands who draws the [VAR] lines, nobody understands why we don't see the whole image for offsides. It's generating more doubts.
"I believe the Spanish Government will take steps to improve refereeing bodies in this country. This is urgent, more urgent than ever. The credibility of our competition has been damaged."
Coach Carlo Ancelotti has been reluctant to comment.
"I believe in referees," he told a news conference in October. "Sometimes a bit more, sometimes a bit less. You ask me about the [RMTV] videos, but you know better than me what freedom of expression is... I have to focus on my team, and leave the job of refereeing to the referees."