Real Madrid TV Aims Dig at Barcelona Players Ahead of El Clasico: ‘They are the referees

Real Madrid TV has reignited tensions with Barcelona ahead of Sunday’s El Clasico, accusing the Catalan club’s players of attempting to influence referees by demanding VAR reviews during matches.

According to a report by Madrid Universal on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, the latest comments from Real Madrid’s official television channel have added another layer of controversy to the rivalry ahead of the first meeting between the Spanish giants this season at Camp Nou on October 25.

Relations between the clubs have remained tense following the collapse of the European Super League project, and the latest criticism has further fuelled the debate surrounding their increasingly heated rivalry.

According to Mundo Deportivo, a recent RMTV programme examined several refereeing decisions from Real Madrid’s victory over Real Betis before turning its attention to Barcelona’s interactions with match officials.

The broadcast reportedly compared the behaviour of different teams ahead of the latest round of Champions League fixtures, suggesting that RB Leipzig’s players would not conduct themselves in the same manner as Barcelona’s footballers.

The programme then criticised an incident involving Pedri and Lamine Yamal during Barcelona’s match against Sevilla. Both players reportedly protested over a possible handball during the build-up to a goal scored by Lo Celso, prompting referee De Burgos Bengoetxea to respond to their calls for a review.

RMTV used the incident to question whether Barcelona’s players receive excessive freedom when challenging refereeing decisions. The channel argued that their behaviour goes beyond the usual protests seen during competitive matches.

In its strongest criticism, the programme accused Barcelona’s players of behaving like match officials by repeatedly calling for VAR intervention whenever they believe a decision should be reviewed.

The broadcast also made a provocative remark about Real Madrid’s upcoming visit to Camp Nou, suggesting that the visitors would effectively face 17 referees. The comment referred to the match officials on the pitch, the VAR team and Barcelona’s 11 players.

The remarks are likely to intensify the rivalry ahead of Sunday’s encounter, particularly given the longstanding disagreements between the clubs over refereeing decisions and their public criticism of one another.

However, both sides still have important European commitments to fulfil before the Clasico. Barcelona are preparing to face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, while Real Madrid will take on RB Leipzig.

Those fixtures will provide both teams with an opportunity to build momentum before their domestic showdown, although the latest comments from Real Madrid TV have ensured that the focus surrounding El Clasico extends beyond the action on the pitch.

As the meeting approaches, attention will remain on the players, the managers and the match officials, with the rivalry once again generating controversy before the teams have even taken to the field.

Msyommie feedback-opera-news-app@opera.com