Incendiary letter after 0:1

“Scandalous performance!” Real now lodge a protest

Kylian Mbappe (center) and Vinicius Junior complain to referee Alejandro Muniz Ruiz.(Bild: AFP or licensors)

Mega frustration at Real Madrid! After the embarrassing 1:0 defeat at Espanyol Barcelona, the "royals" have lodged a "protest against the refereeing system".

"The events that took place in this match have exceeded any margin for human error or the referee's room for interpretation", reads a letter of protest sent by Real Madrid to the Spanish Football Association and its president Rafael Louzan Abal. There is even talk of a "scandalous performance by the VAR referee".

There were indeed some controversial decisions on Saturday. For example, a brutal foul by Carlos Romero against Real superstar Kylian Mbappe caused a stir. The Espanyol defender was only shown a yellow card by referee Alejandro Muniz Ruiz for his foul tackle. Shortly before the end, Romero of all people scored the golden goal.

"Extent of manipulation and distortion of the competition"
 Real is furious! This decision "represents the culmination of a completely discredited refereeing system in which decisions against Real Madrid have reached a level of manipulation and distortion of the competition that can no longer be ignored. The two most serious refereeing decisions of this match have once again highlighted the double standards that are being applied against Real Madrid." A goal by Vinicius Junior was disallowed and Real are demanding "the immediate release of the VAR audio".

In any case, a new level of escalation has now been reached. The Spanish newspaper "Marca" has identified a "final frontal attack" by Real Madrid against the Spanish refereeing system.