Spanish referees call for sanctions against Florentino Pérez.

The controversy shaking Spanish football has reached a new explosive level. The Spanish Football Referees Association (AESAF) has issued an unprecedented challenge to the president of Real Madrid, Florentino Pérez, demanding the immediate opening of a disciplinary process against the official with the Competition Committee of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF). The reason? The serious accusations of systemic corruption, title theft, and illicit enrichment that the Madrid leader has directed at the refereeing sector.

In a scenario that seems lifted from a conspiracy film, Florentino Pérez, at a press conference on May 12 and in an explosive interview with La Sexta the following day, did not hold back in denouncing what he described as “the biggest corruption case in the history of football.” The president of the world’s most high-profile club did not mince words: “I have been here for many seasons and have won seven Champions League titles and seven La Ligas because the others were stolen from me. Systemic corruption for two decades, and the same referees are still around.” This statement alone has already caused an earthquake in Spanish football.

But the accusations did not stop there. Florentino went even further, promising to present UEFA with a 500-page dossier to substantiate his claims. The official accused the referees of illicit enrichment, stating categorically: “I did not come here for some referees to get rich with Barcelona’s money.” In the interview with La Sexta, he reinforced the idea of bias and manipulation: “Systemic corruption. The same referees continue to do the same things, in a blatant manner. This season they have robbed us of 16 or 18 points.”

These violent statements laden with criminal accusations have crossed the line of acceptable sports criticism for the AESAF, which did not hesitate to respond. The referees’ association believes that the words of Florentino Pérez constitute a “serious and systematic attack on the honor of the refereeing collective, without judicial support,” and that the impact is even more devastating because they come from the figure of a president of a club with the status and influence of Real Madrid, thereby amplifying the moral and professional damages caused.

In response, AESAF has formally requested the RFEF Competition Committee to initiate disciplinary proceedings against Florentino Pérez, also demanding the urgent application of precautionary measures to prevent similar statements from occurring again. Furthermore, the association is seeking compensation for the moral, professional, and reputational damages suffered by the referees, as well as a public statement from Real Madrid including a formal apology and rectification.

AESAF justified the public disclosure of this request following the main team’s match of Real Madrid, revealing that the aim is to ensure respect for the competition and protect the integrity of Spanish football. This action by the referees’ association, which acts in defense of the dignity of officiating, promises to trigger a legal and media battle that could redefine the landscape of football in Spain.

Florentino Pérez, one of the most influential and controversial figures in world football, is now at the center of a whirlwind of accusations and counter-accusations that promise to leave no one indifferent. The outcome of this confrontation could have profound consequences for the image of Real Madrid, Spanish officiating, and national football itself. Developments are awaited that could forever change the course of LaLiga and European football.

This article first appeared in [Apito Final](https://apitofinal.pt/).