VAR Official Punished by CTA After Scathing Criticism of Real Madrid

For the past three years, Real Madrid has been notably outspoken regarding the Negreira case, which remains a prominent legal matter. Barcelona stands accused of sporting corruption following allegations of payments made to former CTA vice-president Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira over a period of several years, although the club continues to deny any wrongdoing.

Amidst the fallout from this case, Real Madrid TV has consistently referenced the Negreira scandal when discussing referees assigned to officiate matches involving Los Blancos. However, one particular official has expressed his frustration.

Speaking recently on the “Rogue Cast” podcast, VAR official Juan Luis Pulido Santana directly targeted Real Madrid for their persistent scrutiny of referees on their official television channel.

Pulido Santana asserted, "The entire group of referees has been questioned without any evidence. There has been no purchase of referees; that is unequivocally clear to me. (RMTV exists to) belittle the referees, and even before matches, they are already implying that the referee will be detrimental to Real Madrid. Controversy sells, and some individuals thrive on it."

Pulido Santana Faces Sanction from CTA Following Remarks

The CTA (Technical Committee of Referees) has acknowledged Pulido Santana’s comments, and they were not favorably received. As a result, he has been disciplined by being "put in the fridge," meaning he has been excluded from the VAR officiating teams for all matches in both La Liga and Segunda División for the remainder of the current season.

It remains to be seen whether Real Madrid will issue a response to Pulido Santana, who has previously attracted scrutiny. Should they choose to reply, it would most likely come through RMTV. However, the channel’s habitual criticism of referees has generated significant controversy in recent years, making it unsurprising that an active official has publicly voiced his concerns. This isn't the first such incident; a similar controversy surrounding the officiating for the 2024-25 Copa del Rey final nearly led Real Madrid to withdraw from the competition just prior to their scheduled match against Barcelona.