Real Madrid challenges LaLiga leadership and media after derby injury

Executive dispute with Javier Tebas

The aftermath of Saturday's 2-1 derby loss to Atletico Madrid expanded into institutional confrontation on Tuesday. LaLiga president Javier Tebas posted on social media to reject complaints regarding officiating voiced by Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho. Tebas wrote that pointing to conspiracies was more convenient than addressing on-pitch performance during the opening month of the campaign.

To maintain that referees are directed against Real Madrid is to live in another galaxy. That narrative serves as an alibi to cover up other deficiencies visible to the naked eye in these first matches of the season.

Real Madrid issued an official statement condemning Tebas for using his institutional office to attack the club. The club asserted that Spanish professional football urgently needs leadership capable of respecting fundamental neutrality, adding that the league president is a manager in service of member clubs rather than the owner of the competition. Tebas replied shortly after on social media, writing that neither he nor the Real Madrid president owns the league.

Conflict over broadcast comparison

On the same day, Real Madrid released a separate statement targeting sports journalist Juanma Castaño over an opinion column published in the newspaper ABC titled 'El Real Madrid, en guerra'. In the column, Castaño, who hosts the radio programme El Partidazo de COPE, wrote that club channel Realmadrid TV acted as the Gara newspaper of ultraflorentinismo, referencing club president Florentino Pérez.

Real Madrid described the comparison as deplorable and inadmissible, stating that equating the club channel with a publication historically linked to the terrorist organisation ETA crossed acceptable boundaries. The club stated that it reserves the right to adopt appropriate measures in response, emphasizing that Realmadrid TV legitimately exercises its right to inform on behalf of an institution with a 124-year history.

Referee review and Valverde injury

The institutional disputes coincided with an official post-match evaluation published by Spain's Technical Committee of Referees (CTA). The refereeing body acknowledged a grave error in the derby, stating that Atletico Madrid winger Lee Kang-in should have been sent off for his tackle on midfielder Federico Valverde, which occurred without drawing a foul or a booking during the match.

Kang-In Lee lunges to stop an advance by Federico Valverde. He impacts with the studs on the leg, with joint twisting and high risk of injury. Direct free kick and red card. Clear and obvious error by the referee. The VAR should have intervened.

The CTA supported the remaining contested decisions from the fixture. It confirmed that the video assistant referee correctly intervened to assign a yellow card to defender Cuti Romero for stepping on Jude Bellingham's leg, and confirmed the penalty and red card given to Real Madrid central defender Dean Huijsen. Earlier on Tuesday, Real Madrid confirmed that Valverde sustained a grade-three sprain in his left ankle, involving a complete ligament tear. Spanish media reports indicate the Uruguayan international will miss between two and three weeks, ruling him out of upcoming national team fixtures.