Real Madrid restricts referee media access at Santiago Bernabéu

Referees officiating at Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu stadium this season are subject to a rule that exists at no other ground in Spanish professional football: they cannot give interviews or make television appearances before or after matches. The restriction stems from the club’s control over its own broadcasting framework, and it has turned an already fraught relationship between Los Blancos and Spain’s match officials into something approaching open conflict. How Real Madrid’s broadcasting empire fuels the dispute To understand why referees are muzzled at the Bernabéu, you have to understand RMTV, the club’s in-house television channel. RMTV has developed a reputation for producing pre-match content that dissects and critiques referees’ past decisions, often in the days leading up to a match at the Bernabéu. The practice has drawn formal backlash. In February 2024, Sevilla lodged a complaint with the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), accusing Real Madrid of “persecution and harassment” through RMTV ahead of a match at the Bernabéu. By May 2025, the situation had escalated further. Real Madrid boycotted portions of the Copa del Rey final build-up after referees complai...