The referee for tomorrow’s Copa del Rey final was reduced to tears today after responding to a video aired on Real Madrid TV that highlighted mistakes he had apparently made during his career.
Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea will officiate Madrid’s game against Barcelona in Seville tomorrow with his every decision likely to be scrutinised following the public criticism on the European champions’ in-house TV channel.
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De Burgos said the video had had an impact on his family and struggled to contain his emotion at a press conference today.
He said: “When a child arrives at school and his mates tell him that his father is a thief, it makes you sick.
“What I do is try to educate my son to tell him that his father is an honest man, that he makes mistakes like any other sportsman. It’s very hard, I don’t recommend it to anyone.
“It is not right what we are going through for many colleagues, not only in professional football, but also in grassroots football. Let everyone reflect on where we want to go, on what we want from sport and from football.”
🎙️ “Lo que hago es intentar educar a mi hijo para decirle que es honrado, pero que se equivoca como una persona más”.
➡️ “Quiero que mi hijo esté orgulloso de lo que es su padre”.
🗣️ Ricardo de Burgos Bengoechea, árbitro principal.#CopaDelReyMAPFRE | #LaCopaMola🏆 pic.twitter.com/GzxSTCsvl9
— RFEF (@rfef) April 25, 2025
An ongoing campaign from Real Madrid
Madrid have been vocal in their criticism of referees this season, lodging a letter of complaint with the Spanish FA (RFEF) and Spain’s High Council in February, claiming the system was “rigged” and “completely discredited”.
There was a further backlash from the club’s supporters following the dismissal of midfielder Jude Bellingham for swearing at referee Jose Munuera Montero during the draw at Osasuna.
Pablo Gonzalez Fuertes, the VAR in the Copa final, said officials had had enough and suggested they had reached breaking point.
He said: “We are going to start taking real action, we are not going to continue to allow what is happening.
“In a few days you all will see. We are going to make history and we are not going to continue to put up with what we are putting up with. A strike? You will have news from us soon.”
