Real Madrid have branded comments made by match officials set to take charge of their Copa del Rey final against Barcelona "unacceptable" after the referee broke down in tears at a press conference.
In a strongly-worded statement, the reigning La Liga champions suggested referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea and VAR Pablo Gonzalez Fuertes should be removed from Saturday's El Clasico in Seville.
According to reports, Carlo Ancelotti’s side are considering not playing the silverware showdown at Estadio La Cartuja.
Bilbao-born De Burgos Bengoetxea cried in front of the media as he revealed the pressure Real’s television channel has put referees under.
The 39-year-old is the latest in a line of officials to be criticised on Real Madrid TV this season.
A video released this week pointed out the win percentages of Barca and Real when he has taken charge of their games, the fact he has never refereed in the Champions League or FIFA tournaments and his supposed mistakes.
De Burgos Bengoetxea said "it’s not right what we are going through" during an emotional press conference, while VAR Gonzalez Fuertes warned officials could take action over the broadcasts.
Real seemingly boycotted their official media appointments on Friday before complaining of "clear and manifest animosity and hostility" towards the club from referees.
"Real Madrid CF considers the public statements made today by the referees designated for the Copa del Rey final to be unacceptable," read a statement on the club website.
"These protests, which have surprisingly focused attention on videos from a media outlet protected by freedom of expression, such as Real Madrid TV, deliberately carried out 24 hours earlier against one of the final’s participants, demonstrate, once again, the clear and manifest animosity and hostility of these referees toward Real Madrid.
"Even more surprising statements, in a threatening tone, alluding to the referees’ unity, were used to announce alleged measures or actions that fall far short of the principles of fairness, objectivity, and impartiality that should prevail just hours before a football event that captures the attention of hundreds of millions of people around the world.
"Given the seriousness of what happened, Real Madrid hopes that those responsible for the RFEF (Royal Spanish Football Federation) and the refereeing body will act accordingly, adopting the necessary measures to defend the prestige of the institutions they represent."
In February, Real wrote a formal letter of complaint to RFEF and Spain’s High Council for Sports saying Spanish refereeing was "rigged" and "completely discredited".
RFEF later highlighted referees’ concerns over abuse, citing the case of Jose Munuera Montero, who faced a backlash after issuing a red card to Madrid’s England international Jude Bellingham.
With tensions running high, Ancelotti’s men go into the final seeking to salvage an underwhelming campaign.
Real are four points adrift of Barcelona in La Liga with five games to go and were last week knocked out of the Champions League by Arsenal.
Barca have won the two previous meetings between the clubs this campaign – 4-0 at Santiago Bernabeu and 5-2 in the Spanish Super Cup final in Saudi Arabia.
Barcelona boss Hansi Flick will be without the services of injured top scorer Robert Lewandowski, with Ferran Torres set to deputise.
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