The 2025 Copa del Rey final between Barcelona vs Real Madrid will be officiated by Spanish referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea. This will be his first time refereeing a Copa del Rey final, following ten seasons of experience in La Liga and several high-profile El Clásico matches under his belt. However, the appointment of De Burgos Bengoetxea has sparked significant controversy.
In the lead-up to the final, Real Madrid publicly criticized him through their official channel, Real Madrid TV, accusing him of bias and highlighting past decisions that allegedly went against them. The heavy criticism deeply affected De Burgos Bengoetxea, to the point where he became emotional during a pre-match press conference, revealing that his son had been teased by classmates due to the accusations against him.
VAR for the final will be handled by Pablo González Fuertes, a veteran referee currently in his final season before retirement. His appointment as VAR has also stirred debate, with some suggesting that the decision was made to avoid putting younger referees under extreme pressure in such a high-stakes match. Despite the tensions, the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has stood by its decision, confirming that the appointments would remain unchanged. Real Madrid, after initially cancelling all pre-match media activities in protest, have since confirmed that they will participate in the final as scheduled.
With all these off-field controversies, this El Clásico in Seville promises to be not just a battle on the pitch, but also a powerful test of fairness, resilience, and sporting spirit in Spanish football.
Referee Controversy Clouds Barcelona vs Real Madrid Final
What Sparked the Controversy Between Referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea and Real Madrid Ahead of the Barcelona vs Real Madrid Copa del Rey Final?
In the lead-up to the 2025 Copa del Rey final, Real Madrid publicly criticized referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea, who had been appointed by the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) to officiate the highly anticipated El Clásico.
The controversy stems from:
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Real Madrid TV, the club’s official media outlet, aired multiple programs accusing De Burgos Bengoetxea of being “biased toward Barcelona” and highlighted several controversial decisions from past matches that they claim disadvantaged Real Madrid.
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The programs also analyzed past fouls, penalty calls, and overlooked incidents that they argue had a direct impact on previous results in favor of Barcelona.
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Real Madrid even formally requested that the federation replace the assigned referee, but the RFEF rejected the appeal and maintained their decision.
The media pressure became so intense that:
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During a pre-match press conference, De Burgos Bengoetxea broke down in tears, revealing that the public accusations had negatively impacted his family — with his son being teased by classmates over the controversy.
Additionally, the appointment of Pablo González Fuertes as VAR referee for the final also raised concerns. Fuertes, who announced he would retire at the end of the season, sparked debate about whether a soon-to-retire referee might be less resilient under the intense pressure of such a critical match.
Despite all the backlash:
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The RFEF stood firmly behind De Burgos Bengoetxea, emphasizing that he is one of Spain’s most experienced referees, having officiated several previous El Clásico clashes and other high-profile games.
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They confirmed that the final would proceed as planned, with no changes to the refereeing team.
In summary:
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The controversy arose from Real Madrid’s lack of trust in the referee, believing that he had shown bias against them in the past.
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Real Madrid’s media channels intensified scrutiny and public pressure leading up to the final.
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Nevertheless, both the referee and the federation defended the decision, and the final between Barcelona and Real Madrid will move forward as scheduled.
Real Madrid Will Not Withdraw from the 2025 Copa del Rey Final
Despite expressing significant dissatisfaction over the appointment of referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea, Real Madrid have confirmed that they will participate in the Copa del Rey final as planned.
At one point, Real Madrid escalated their protest by cancelling pre-match media activities, including skipping the traditional pre-match press conference. However, after submitting their grievances to the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) — and having them rejected — the club ultimately decided to proceed with the match.
Specifically:
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Real Madrid chose to fulfill their sporting duty and responsibility to their fans, despite maintaining strong objections to the officiating appointment.
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They remain determined to compete for the title on the field rather than withdrawing in protest.
Real Madrid will take to the pitch against Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final on the night of April 26, 2025 (Spain time)