Real Madrid are escalating their battle with Spanish referees by preparing a detailed report to FIFA following another controversial decision in La Liga.
The latest flashpoint came during Los Blancos’ 2–1 victory over Real Sociedad on Saturday. Center-back Dean Huijsen was shown a straight red card in the 32nd minute by referee Jesús Gil Manzano after a challenge on Mikel Oyarzabal.
The Real Sociedad forward argued he was clean through on goal before the foul, but both Huijsen and manager Xabi Alonso insisted that Éder Militão was close enough to provide cover.
Despite protests, Huijsen was sent off, a decision that sparked outrage from Real Madrid’s bench and supporters. Alonso later criticized the call in his post-match comments.
Real Madrid Prepare FIFA Complaint
Shortly after the game, Real Madrid TV announced that the club would compile a dossier highlighting questionable refereeing decisions from the first four rounds of the 2025–26 La Liga season, as well as incidents from last year.
“Real Madrid is preparing a report with everything that has happened in these first four rounds of La Liga and what happened last season,” the club said in a statement. “That dossier will be submitted to FIFA so they take note of what is happening in Spanish football with regard to refereeing.”
This move marks the latest escalation in the tense relationship between Real Madrid and Spanish referees. The club has been increasingly outspoken about decisions it feels have negatively impacted its title chances.
Previous Complaints Against Refereeing
Last season, Real Madrid lodged an official complaint with the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) after a controversial 1–0 loss to Espanyol. Referee Alejandro Muniz Ruiz showed only a yellow card to Carlos Romero for a dangerous challenge on Kylian Mbappe and Romero went on to score the winning goal.
Now, with Huijsen’s red card just four matches into the new campaign, Real Madrid are taking their case beyond Spain and directly to FIFA.
Refereeing Under Scrutiny
The escalation comes just days after the RFEF Technical Committee of Referees (CTA) launched “Review Time”, a new initiative aimed at improving transparency by publicly analyzing potential refereeing errors across La Liga, La Liga 2, and Liga F.
In its debut episode, the CTA admitted to wrongly allowing a goal scored by Ferran Torres in Barcelona’s opening game of the season. Huijsen’s dismissal is now expected to feature in an upcoming review, adding further pressure to Spain’s refereeing body.
With Real Madrid’s report set to reach FIFA, the issue of refereeing standards in Spanish football has officially become an international talking point just weeks into the new season.
