Rabat – A Madrid court has ordered the Sports Arbitration Tribunal (TAD) and the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) to restart proceedings against Real Madrid over a series of club-produced videos that accuse match officials of bias.
The ruling from Central Administrative Court No.4 comes after the initial case, filed on March 1, 2024, was shelved by the RFEF’s Disciplinary Committee on June 5 for “lack of standing.”
For years, Real Madrid TV has shown clips of referee mistakes they believe went against the team, as they were trying to put pressure on LaLiga officials.
The court disagreed, ruling that LaLiga’s “legitimate interest” is as the organiser of Spain’s top two divisions. It said the Real Madrid TV content may have breached federation codes relating to sporting integrity and respect for officials.
In a written judgment, the court said the clips “go beyond sporting criticism” and could harm the honour of referees and the credibility of the competition.
TAD must now re-examine the case and evaluate evidence it previously ignored, including match-day tapes from the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons.
Potential punishments range from fines to stadium closures or, in extreme cases, points deductions.
Real Madrid has not yet commented, but sources at LaLiga say president Javier Tebas will push for a swift resolution “to protect the league’s image.”
The new investigation is expected to begin within days, with a verdict likely before the 2025-26 season kicks off.
