La Liga president Javier Tebas said Real Madrid are “living in another galaxy” if they think La Liga officials are biased against them, amid a heated debate over refereeing standards.
Madrid beat Atletico Madrid 2-1 in Sunday’s derby at the Estadio Metropolitano, but the controversial defeat sparked a strong reaction from Real Madrid.
Jose Mourinho’s side sent off Dean Huizen for a last-man foul early in the second half, but Real Madrid believed Lee Kang-in and Christian Romero deserved red cards for Atletico, the former for a high challenge on Federico Valverde and the latter for stamping on Jude Bellingham.
Mourinho brought printed images of the two incidents to his post-match press conference, calling them “the story of the game” and describing referee Ortiz Arias as weak and inexperienced.
Atletico hit back on their social media channels on Monday, posting a photo taken at Mourinho’s press conference with the caption: “Stop harassing the referee now.”
Madrid used the headline “Poor refereeing performance decides derby” in a match report produced by the club’s official team, along with pictures of Lee and Romero’s challenge.
Tebas, who has criticized Real Madrid’s treatment of referees and desire to create an independent European Super League in the past, has now slammed the club’s actions.
Poor refereeing can decide the outcome of a derby.
— Real Madrid (@realmadriden) September 20, 2026
“Here they go again, mouthpieces and regime television, establishing the same old narrative: a perpetual conspiracy,” Tebas wrote in X, responding to an article in Spanish media that claimed referees often favor Madrid opponents.
“To claim that the referee was targeting Real Madrid is to live in another galaxy.
“This statement is an excuse to cover up other shortcomings that were evident in the first game of the season.
“It’s more comfortable to point out a conspiracy than to explain what happened on the pitch.
“Take off the blinders! It’s September and they’re already claiming the alliance is tainted. People with common sense can no longer believe this old excuse.”
Real Madrid had previously sent a formal letter of complaint to the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) about La Liga referees in 2025, prompting Tebas to accuse Real of damaging the game and “creating a victim story”.