Right, here we go again. Another weekend, another refereeing storm in La Liga and this time the Spanish media has properly blown its top.
Real Madrid’s frantic 1-1 draw with Real Betis on Sunday night has sent Jose Luis Sanchez into absolute orbit. The El Chiringuito man didn’t just criticise the officials. He tore into them live on air, claiming the match was fixed before a ball was even kicked again.
His verdict? Just hand the trophy to Barcelona now and be done with it.
“They should all be going after the referee,” Sanchez fumed, veins presumably popping. “They decided this match in Las Rozas. Once again, they decided this match in Las Rozas. Betis drew this match from Las Rozas.”
Las Rozas, for the uninitiated, is where the Spanish football federation has its headquarters. Sanchez wasn’t being subtle.
And he didn’t stop there. Oh no.
“I hope they come out of the trial and make the whole of Spanish football blush. It’s a disgrace. This is already a disgrace to the competition. It’s a bloody disgrace. And now you keep whitewashing this competition. Keep whitewashing this competition for Madrid.”
The flashpoint? Betis’ 93rd minute equaliser. The goal came after a challenge involving Ferland Mendy and Betis winger Antony and Sanchez is adamant it should’ve been a foul the other way.
“Madrid are disrespected season after season in this way,” he said, barely catching his breath. “What happened in the first half is a disgrace. And this with the referees on top of it: it’s Soto Grado and Gonzalez Fuertes. Antony grabs Mendy inside the box, pulls him down, commits a foul, and it ends in a goal in the 93rd minute. It’s a disgrace to the competition.”
Now here’s the line that’s already doing the rounds on Spanish social media.
“Just give Barcelona the title already,” Sanchez snapped. “Give it to them. But let Soto Grado give it to them, or let him hand it over. What’s his name? Fran Soto? Let Fran Soto hand it over to them now.”
He couldn’t even get the ref’s name right. That’s how wound up he was.
For context, Real Madrid now sit eight points behind league leaders Barcelona with six games left. Every decision, every whistle, every added minute is going to be picked apart between now and the finish line.
Whether Sanchez has a point about the Mendy incident is almost incidental now. The damage is done, another officiating firestorm, another TV meltdown, and another twist in a title race that’s showing no sign of letting up.
Barca won’t mind one bit. And Madrid? They’ll feel absolutely robbed. Again.
