Clasico Aftershocks: Is Real Madrid Getting the Ref Calls?
29 October 2025
Refereeing Under Scrutiny After the Clasico
The latest El Clasico ended in a 2-1 Madrid victory, reigniting critics’ focus on officiating in Spanish football and prompting renewed questions about whether the white club has benefited from referees’ decisions over the years. Critics argue that a series of questionable calls this season has helped Real Madrid accumulate points at crucial moments.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Real Madrid have collected 27 points from a possible 30 after ten La Liga rounds in the 2025-2026 season, capped by the dramatic win over Barcelona at the Bernabéu. The paper contends that this impressive run has been accompanied by a trail of debatable decisions that supporters say favor Madrid.
The report highlights a key moment in the Clasico: a second goal for Jude Bellingham counted after a prior incident in the build-up, with the video assistant referee involved in the decision. It also notes a denied penalty for Carvajal following a robust challenge and a penalty awarded for Eric Garcia that Madrid missed converting, while a VAR check controversially overturned a penalty that had been awarded against Madrid earlier in another sequence.
The Catalan outlet adds that such episodes are not isolated. In the opening round against Osasuna, Madrid supposedly benefited from a penalty that many observers felt was questionable, a claim the paper ties to a broader pattern across early fixtures. The piece reports that, even in other matches, Madrid’s advantage appeared linked to refereeing interpretations reviewed by VAR officials who repeatedly supported Madrid’s claims.
The article also cites incidents in subsequent fixtures: a red card in one late moment directed at a Madrid opponent and another game where a penalty decision altered the balance, with Madrid controversially going on the attack after the whistle for several key moments. The reporter asserts that VAR involvement, with certain officials repeatedly present in Madrid’s high-profile matches, has fed the perception of a bias in favor of the capital club.
Across rounds two through nine, Mundo Deportivo claims Madrid’s results—aside from the scorelines themselves—have been repeatedly shaped by officiating choices, including penalties, yellow and red cards, and VAR interventions that critics say skew the outcomes in Madrid’s favor. The paper points out that Barcelona has also faced scrutiny and points to a different trajectory for the club, including losses and contentious calls, amid a broader discussion about consistency in the league’s officiating landscape.
In conclusion, the publication emphasizes that although Madrid’s 27 points from 30 is a remarkable achievement, it rekindles debates about media and managerial pressure on Spanish refereeing and whether such influence can affect La Liga results this season.
Madrid’s ongoing success story, viewed through the lens of refereeing, remains a hot topic as the season progresses, with fans and pundits weighing perceived bias against the quality of play on the field.
Punchline time: If referees had a trophy case, Madrid would already be polishing a cabinet labeled “Best Supporting Calls.”
Punchline time 2: My GPS tried to take me to the VAR room for directions—turns out it was just offside by a mile and kept recalculating the lines like it was reading tea leaves.
