Copa del Rey: Real Madrid Contemplating Boycott Over RFEF Referee Selection - Reports

Written by Oluwadamilola Olaleye

Real Madrid are reportedly contemplating a boycott of their Copa del Rey final clash against Barcelona this Saturday according to several reports in Spain.

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This consideration follows the Spanish football federation, RFEF’s refusal of their request to remove head referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea from the match.

In a further escalation of their dispute with the refereeing body (CTA) and the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), Los Blancos have cancelled their scheduled public pre-match training session at Estadio de La Cartuja, as well as their press conference that was to take place on Saturday afternoon.

Leading up to the Copa del Rey final in Seville at La Cartuja on Saturday night, both Real Madrid and Barcelona had planned to hold open training sessions and pre-match press conferences.

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However, on Friday afternoon, the designated Copa final referee, Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea, and the VAR official, Pablo Gonzalez Fuertes held their own press conference, during which de Burgos Bengoetxea emotionally addressed the intense scrutiny and persecution faced by referees.

Subsequently, Real Madrid formally requested a change of match officials, expressing concerns that de Burgos Bengoetxea and Gonzalez Fuertes were not in the appropriate frame of mind to officiate the final.

Nevertheless, the RFEF has denied this request, unofficially conveying that clubs will not be permitted to dictate refereeing assignments.

Notwithstanding, this highly anticipated showpiece marks Real Madrid’s 41st appearance in the Copa del Rey final and it will be the eighth occasion in which they face their fierce rivals, Barcelona in the cup’s ultimate showdown. In the previous seven Copa del Rey finals between these two Spanish giants, Real Madrid holds a slight advantage, having emerged victorious in four of those encounters.

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