Real Madrid Denies Considering Boycott of Copa del Rey Final Against Barcelona

Real Madrid has released a new statement addressing rumors about their potential withdrawal from the Copa del Rey final against Barcelona due to concerns over referee appointments.

The club had previously requested the removal of Ricardo De Burgos Bengoechea’s officiating team from the match. Madrid deemed the referees’ pre-match press conference statements unacceptable. However, the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) rejected Real Madrid’s request.

“In light of rumors circulating in recent hours, Real Madrid announces that our team never considered the possibility of withdrawing from tomorrow’s final,” the club stated. “We understand that the unfortunate and inappropriate statements made by the appointed match officials 24 hours before the final cannot overshadow a sporting event of global significance, which will be watched by hundreds of millions of people. We also respect all fans planning to travel to Seville and those already in the Andalusian capital.”

Prior to the final, Real Madrid’s club TV released a video expressing dissatisfaction with the appointment of 39-year-old Bengoechea for the decisive match. The video highlighted examples of the referee’s errors favoring Madrid’s opponents in previous games. Bengoechea broke down in tears during the pre-match press conference due to harsh criticism directed at him.

The Copa del Rey final between Real Madrid and Barcelona is scheduled for Saturday, April 26, starting at 23:00 Moscow time.