Official Atletico Madrid CEO feels that it is "obvious" that Real Madrid are favored by referees

Official Atletico Madrid CEO feels that it is "obvious" that Real Madrid are favored by referees

Thursday's Copa del Rey quarterfinal match between Real Madrid and city rivals Atletico Madrid was typically a feisty affair, with its fair share of controversial moments.

 Having led for much of the tie, Atleti lost 3-1 after extra time.  Alvaro Morata's early strike was canceled out by Rodrygo in normal time, before Karim Benzema and Vinicius Jr adding goals in extra time to seal the win for Real Madrid.

 Before Benzema and Vinicius' goals, Atleti had Stefan Savic sent off for a second bookable offense.  Although they had little issue with that decision, they mightily aggrieved that a similar punishment wasn't handed out to Dani Ceballos when the score was 1-0.

 Already on a yellow, Ceballos fouled Thomas Lemar as Atleti were attacking, but referee Soto Grado kept his cards pocketed, much to the fury of the Atleti players and coaching staff.

 The Atleti CEO has now chimed with his views of the situation, in which he believes that their city rivals are involuntarily favored by the governors.  In a statement to the club's official website, Miguel Angel Gil Marin believes that Real Madrid have created an atmosphere that influences officials.

 “I have the utmost respect for the refereeing collective and I am convinced that their intention is always the best, but anyone who observes (the situation) from the outside can see that for decades the same thing almost always happens.  Unfortunately, it no longer surprises anyone, it is not news.  It's very obvious and you just have to remember the story.

 “(Real) Madrid is a club with a very strong environment, with many interests around it.  They create such pressure that it is normal for it to affect the people who must make decisions.  They are aware of what awaits them if they are harmed with some mistake or even with some success.  It is usual to campaign against those who consider it harmful.”

 Considering this, Gil Marin believes that it is unsurprising that Ceballos failed to be sent off, despite his belief that the rules of the game state that the midfield should've been.

 “The second yellow yesterday was obvious, undoubted and adjusted to regulations.  But with 0-1, in the 71st minute, playing the pass for the semifinals of the Cup in their own stadium, leaving Real Madrid with 10 players is a major decision.”

 It remains to be seen whether the RFEF will issue a response to Gil Marin's remarks, but his remarks are unlikely to be looked upon well by those in the Spanish football governing bosy.