Ref Reform: Real Madrid’s New Stance

Ref Reform In recent years, Real Madrid has maintained a strongly critical position toward the Spanish refereeing system, particularly targeting the Comité Técnico de Árbitros (CTA). The club did not mince words in its assessment, describing the current arbitral system as “corrompido” (corrupted) and “viciado” (tainted).

Their criticism reached its peak when the club formally alleged “manipulación y adulteración de la competición” (manipulation and adulteration of competition) in decisions against them through an official letter sent jointly to the RFEF and the Secretary of State for Sport.
To support these serious allegations, Real Madrid instituted a systematic approach of producing weekly videos that highlighted what they perceived as refereeing errors that affected their matches.

This aggressive stance attracted criticism from Javier Tebas, president of LaLiga, who accused the club of lacking “fair play” and going against the “valores del Real Madrid” (Real Madrid’s values).
Even when presented with VAR audios, Real Madrid maintained their belief in a “sesgo arbitral” (refereeing bias) working against them, refusing to back down from their position that the system was fundamentally flawed.

Ref Reform: Toward Collaboration

Despite this history of confrontational rhetoric, a significant shift has occurred in Real Madrid’s approach to referee reform. The Federación Española de Fútbol (RFEF) has successfully brought Real Madrid to the table for discussions about reforming the arbitral system, with the club now displaying what has been characterized as a “faceta conciliadora y constructiva” (conciliatory and constructive facet).
RFEF President Rafael Louzán deserves credit for this diplomatic achievement. His engagement strategy included several key initiatives:

Inviting Real Madrid representatives to listen to VAR audios from a controversial match against Espanyol
Facilitating respectful and cordial discussions despite the club’s continued skepticism
Extending a formal invitation for Real Madrid to participate in the current reform commission

The response from Real Madrid has been notably positive. José Ángel Sánchez, the club’s director general, has been an active participant in these meetings, demonstrating what observers describe as an “actitud de respeto, cordialidad y postura de avanzar en cambiar el sistema arbitral” (attitude of respect, cordiality, and a position to advance in changing the arbitral system).

Ref Reform: Active Participation

Real Madrid’s involvement in the current reform commission comes with an interesting backstory. Initially, the club was not elected by other LaLiga teams to represent them in these discussions. However, they received an extraordinary invitation from Louzán following an agreement with Javier Tebas, bringing them into the process despite the initial exclusion.
Since joining the commission, Real Madrid has demonstrated a genuine willingness to contribute to substantive changes in the arbitral system. Perhaps most surprisingly, the club has found common ground with LaLiga on certain proposals—a notable development given the historically contentious relationship between these institutions.

Of particular interest is Real Madrid’s positive reception to LaLiga’s proposal to implement “Inteligencia Artificial” (Artificial Intelligence) for referee assignments and promotion/relegation decisions. This technological approach to addressing potential bias in the system seems to have resonated with the club that once alleged systemic corruption.

Conclusion

Ref Reform The evolution of Real Madrid’s stance on refereeing reform represents a significant shift in Spanish football politics. Having previously demanded changes through public criticism and formal complaints, the club has now joined the process of implementing reforms in a collaborative manner.

This transition from vocal critic to active participant suggests a potentially more constructive era in addressing the challenges within Spanish football’s refereeing system.
As the reform process continues, Real Madrid’s continued engagement will likely remain crucial to developing solutions that can restore confidence in the fairness and integrity of officiating across Spanish football