Real Madrid’s official television channel has launched a fierce new attack on the refereeing body in Spanish football, releasing a video compilation titled “La Liga is Rigged.” The video, published on Monday, February 26, 2024, accuses officials of a series of errors that have consistently harmed the club this season.
The nearly eight-minute montage focuses on several key incidents from recent matches. It highlights a potential penalty not awarded to Jude Bellingham during the 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid in early February. The video also revisits a controversial disallowed goal for Brahim Diaz in the same match, which was ruled out for a prior foul by Bellingham.
Further back, the compilation points to a non-penalty call in the match against Almeria in January, where the ball appeared to strike an Almeria defender’s arm in the area. Real Madrid came back to win that game 3-2 after being 2-0 down. The channel also included footage from the 0-0 draw with Rayo Vallecano, questioning several decisions that went against Carlo Ancelotti’s side.
This is not the first time Real Madrid TV has taken this approach. The channel previously aired a segment before the team’s match against Girona, listing what it described as “questionable refereeing decisions” that favored their title rivals. That video was criticized by La Liga president Javier Tebas, who called it “an embarrassment to football.”
The latest video represents a significant escalation in the club’s ongoing dispute with the league’s refereeing committee. By directly accusing the competition of being “rigged,” Real Madrid’s media arm is making its strongest statement yet, casting a shadow over the integrity of the current La Liga title race.
