Real Madrid cut ties with Spanish Football Federation due to ‘adulterated’ competition

Madrid – Real Madrid have formally severed relations with the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), citing repeated refereeing decisions they deem unacceptable and declaring La Liga “adulterated.”

The rupture follows Friday night’s 1-1 draw at Girona, a result that extended Los Blancos’ winless streak to three matches and left them vulnerable to a nine-point deficit should Barcelona defeat Espanyol. Club officials believe a stoppage-time penalty claim after a challenge on Kylian Mbappé was the latest in a pattern of officiating errors that undermines competitive integrity.

Coach Álvaro Arbeloa voiced his anger in the post-match press conference, focusing squarely on the Mbappé incident as evidence of systemic failure.

Efforts to ease tensions surfaced late last season when newly installed RFEF president Rafael Louzan convened several meetings with Real Madrid general manager José Ángel Sánchez. The club was granted a privileged role in reforming the Referees’ Committee (CTA), culminating in Fran Soto replacing Luis Medina Cantalejo as committee head. Yet Madrid refused to tone down public criticism of match officials, and dialogue cooled.

Relations deteriorated further during the recent Champions League clash against Bayern Munich, when UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin sat beside Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez while Louzan was placed several rows back, a seating arrangement interpreted by Madrid as symbolic of their estrangement from the federation.

According to a report in Diario AS, the club feels vindicated in its stance and will limit RFEF involvement until a complete overhaul of the refereeing system is enacted. Until such reform, Real Madrid intend to maintain their distance, convinced that the current environment renders the competition illegitimate.