Perez Unleashes Fury After Real Madrid's Shock 2-1 Defeat at Osasuna
21 February 2026
Match Recap and Controversy
Real Madrid suffered a painful 2-1 defeat away to Osasuna on matchday 25 of La Liga, in a game defined by refereeing controversy and decisive calls that altered the flow of play until the final whistle.
The encounter saw VAR involved on several occasions, most notably a penalty for Osasuna after a reversal of a yellow card for Ante Budimir, yielding the opener in the 38th minute. Vinícius Júnior soon leveled for Madrid, only for Raúl García to seal the hosts’ win in stoppage time tonight.
Reaction, Stakes, and Close the Gap
According to Spanish journalist Pepe Álvarez on X, anger overwhelmed Real Madrid officials in the dugout after the final whistle, with noticeable tension inside the club’s leadership because of what was deemed poor handling of the match in its critical moments by officials.
It was noted that club president Florentino Pérez was furious with head coach Álvaro Arbeloa for his tactical choices, as Madrid's points tally stayed at 60, threatening their lead in La Liga and alarms about consistency.
Madrid will lose top spot if Barcelona beat Villarreal tomorrow; Barca sits on 58 points now.
Osasuna rose to ninth with 33 points after this valuable win.
Outlook
There was a lot of drama in this clash, and the title race in La Liga remains wide open as the season heads into its crunch phase.