Just hours before the Copa del Rey final between Real Madrid and Barcelona, the controversy surrounding officiating has flared up once more in Spanish football. This Friday, Atlético de Madrid issued a strong message on their official social media channels, denouncing what they describe as “referee harassment” by the white club and calling for an end to the damage being done to the image of Spanish football.

“This is unbearable. Stop tarnishing the image of Spanish football,” posted the red-and-white team on their official ‘X’ account, accompanied by the hashtag #StopAcosoArbitralYa, clearly responding to a statement previously released by Real Madrid.

The Merengues had made their discontent public after remarks by referees Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea and González Fuertes, who are set to officiate Saturday’s final. In response, Madrid canceled all official events and called for action, claiming that the referees' statements demonstrated a supposed “animosity” toward the club.

Atlético de Madrid is no stranger to this kind of response. On multiple occasions, they’ve accused Real Madrid of applying pressure on referees through their official media and friendly journalists. In fact, back in February, ahead of the derby at the Santiago Bernabéu, the Colchoneros had already used the same slogan against “referee harassment,” publishing ironic messages that included inquiries to the Royal Spanish Academy about words like “intimidate” and “coerce.”

At that time, they also posted a satirical guide with “instructions for preparing a derby,” accusing Real Madrid of using media tools to condition officiating decisions and sow doubts.

A controversy dragging on since February

This Friday’s post adds to a string of messages from the Metropolitano side, which continues to denounce what they see as a systematic campaign by Madrid to influence referees—especially in high-stakes matches.

With the Cup final just around the corner and refereeing once again under the spotlight, the rivalry between Spain’s biggest clubs is being played out not only on the pitch, but also in boardrooms and across social media.