It all happened as expected. Real Madrid wanted to win the Copa final in their own way, by issuing statements to intimidate the referees. Using all the weapons at their disposal, starting with Real Madrid TV.
Referees Missed Five Penalties in Real Madrid's Area
Florentino Pérez can feel happy. His statement, once again, has been a success. Both De Burgos Bengoetxea and Del Cerro Grande, the VAR referee, showed during the match their fear of upsetting Real Madrid with their decisions.
There were up to five penalties in Real Madrid's area. Of them, only one deserved a VAR review. Of course, the referee tandem didn't dare to make any decision that might not please Don Florentino.
The goal was to intimidate them before the match so they would act under pressure. It's not new, the TV channel where Don Florentino signs, because it's his, has been doing it all season.
Real Madrid has lost another final against Barça. But they can't blame the referees. De Burgos and González Fuertes did everything they could to ensure Real Madrid was satisfied with their performance.
They Deserve to be Praised for Their Well-Done Work in Favor of Real Madrid
He didn't call as a foul the continuous theatrics of players like Bellingham or Ceballos, but between the referee and the VAR, they aimed not to see anything in Real Madrid's area and they succeeded. Florentino can calmly send them gifts for the well-done work... for Real Madrid.
Surely De Burgos Bengoetxea won't record in the report the constant insults heard in chorus from the Madridist area. The "f... Barça, Catalonia, etc, etc." He will write the report in the most amiable way so that Rüdiger doesn't get three or six months of punishment for his misdeed, as has happened to others.
Real Madrid reached the Copa del Rey final fraudulently as seen in their matches against Celta and Real Sociedad. But once in the final, the refereeing bias, in their favor, has presided over the final.
Minute four De Burgos didn't dare to show a yellow card to Lucas Vázquez for stepping on Raphinha
Minute 16, Rüdiger's aggression by tackling Olmo. No card.
The First of the Five Penalties
Minute 17. First penalty. Handball inside the area by Valverde cutting off a cross from Raphinha that Ferran was going to finish. The hand wasn't on the ground, it was in the air.
Minute 19. Push by Lucas Vázquez on Raphinha. No cards for anyone.
Minute 23. Ceballos's aggression scratching Lamine Yamal's face with his hand. Only a foul.
Minute 26. Yellow card to Ancelotti for vehemently protesting a handball by Gerard Martín much less clear than Valverde's penalty.
Vinícius claims fouls that don't exist. Bellingham and Ceballos also join the trend.
Minute 30. First card to Tchouaméni, who took down Olmo and almost knocked him out of the match. Only a yellow, but at least it was orange.
Minute 34. Goal disallowed to Bellingham for offside by a meter.
Minute 35. Yellow card to Gerard Martín.
Minute 51. Lucas Vázquez's aggression on Lamine. Not even a foul.
Rüdiger has immunity. Olmo takes all the hits. Rüdiger threatens him with his finger when he's on the ground, in a belligerent manner, after a tackle.
Minute 43. Second penalty. This time on Cubarsí, who is grabbed by the jersey when going to finish a corner. Ceballos is the cause of the penalty.
Slap by Ceballos on Lamine in front of the referee and not even a foul.
Asencio has immunity. Criminal tackle on Olmo and not even a card.
Minute 48. De Burgos calls a penalty on a fall by Vinícius when he was late to a ball. He was offside, but his intentions were clear.
Florentino has made everyone nervous and the bench was a pressure cooker protesting everything.
Bellingham takes Pedri out of the field with a nasty tackle and it's only a foul. Nastier than Gerard Martín's. But it was Bellingham, the one with the "fuck off."
Madrid is outraged with the referee for showing a yellow and not a red to Frenkie for holding Vinicius when entering the area. But he wasn't the last. It was the foul for Real Madrid's equalizing goal.
Modric saw a yellow card in an action that could have perfectly been a red. It reminds of Mbappé's expulsion tackle.
Yellow Card to Modric that was a red. He arrives late and impacts on his leg, Mbappé style.
Yellow Card to Fermín just for holding Modric without the ball.
Minute 90+4. Third penalty. Rüdiger hits Ferran's ankle and knocks him down inside the area. He didn't dare to call it after Real Madrid's statement. A penalty as clear as day.
90+5. Fourth penalty. by Asencio on Raphinha, he knocks him down with his foot and pushes him with his hand. The play is very clear, De Burgos gives the penalty, but the VAR invites him to rectify, surely remembering Real Madrid's statement. Losing a title in the 95th minute, against Barça and by penalty can't be done to Real Madrid. No one would understand it. And there was no penalty.
Two penalties not called in the last two minutes. A scandal that makes it clear Florentino got his way.
Minute 103. Fifth penalty. There was still time for another penalty by Asencio on Raphinha that De Burgos didn't want to see.
Minute 106. Goal correctly disallowed to Ferran for offside.
Minute 107 card to Bellingham for a nasty tackle stepping on Eric. Bellingham shouldn't have been on the field for a while, but he finished the match.
Minute 112. Mbappé hits Eric in the face and a foul is called. Rüdiger wants to hit him and has to be held back by five teammates. He throws an object that isn't clear if it's a water bottle or an ice pack. De Burgos expels him and Lucas Vázquez.
Real Madrid Never Loses: They Are Robbed
They already have an excuse. All this in the last minute, as expected in the script if they lost.
In case of victory, epic. In case of defeat, Negreira, the referees, etc. It's the new style of the current Real Madrid to handle defeats. No handshakes and yes to turning on the fan. Anything but admitting that Barça has outplayed them all three times they've faced them this season.
Florentino's Real Madrid, the one with Real Madrid TV, never loses. They are robbed. And more so if it's Barça. As these things are seen worldwide, the image of the white club pays for it with their new way of doing things.