Florentino Perez, President of Real Madrid
Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images
The referees and VAR have once again become the talking point in LaLiga after Real Madrid’s defeat to Atletico Madrid at the Metropolitano.
Real Madrid have long been at odds with the officiating bodies, a tension that resurfaced following the controversial derby, in which Dean Huijsen was sent off and a penalty awarded against them.
But amid the noise, Real Madrid have received some welcome news on two separate fronts.
Complaint against Florentino set to be shelved
According to \AS, the instructor studying the referees’ union complaint against Real Madrid and president Florentino Perez has proposed dismissing the case.
Jose Mourinho and Florentino Perez of Real Madrid
Perez out of the woods. (Photo courtesy: Real Madrid official website)
The complaint stemmed from Perez’s comments last May, when he accused the officiating establishment of systemic corruption and claimed Real Madrid had been robbed of several league titles.
The referees’ union felt those remarks attacked their integrity, arguing they could not be protected under freedom of expression as they alleged a continuous crime of corruption spanning two decades.
However, after months of studying the case, the instructor has recommended that the Competition Committee discontinue the process.
The reasoning is that it would be difficult to act against Perez’s words without first reforming existing regulations, as they currently fall within the framework of freedom of expression.
The process technically remains open, pending allegations from the parties involved, but the proposal represents a significant boost for Perez and the club.
RFEF to take no action against Mourinho
Jose Mourinho, Real Madrid manager
RFEF won’t take action against Mourinho’s words. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)
In further good news for Real Madrid, the RFEF has decided against taking any action over Jose Mourinho’s comments following the derby.
The Portuguese was scathing in his assessment of the refereeing and the CTA in his post-match press conference, questioning the decisions that went against his side.
Such remarks could have invited disciplinary scrutiny, but the governing body has opted not to pursue the matter.
The refereeing debate, however, shows no sign of dying down, and with tensions between Real Madrid and the officiating bodies as high as ever, it may only be a matter of time before the topic flares up once again.
Jose Mourinho, Head Coach of Real Madrid
Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images
Real Madrid are heading into the international break with more questions than answers, having recently fallen to a 2-1 defeat to rivals Atletico Madrid.
Jose Mourinho’s men have already lost two matches so far this campaign and, perhaps more importantly, the team has barely shown any signs of cohesion.
The team has underperformed despite having one of the most decorated rosters in all of Europe.
Real Madrid running the least in LaLiga
According to data from Sofascore, Real Madrid are the team that runs the least in LaLiga so far this season.
Courtesy: SofaScore
Across the opening seven matchdays, Los Blancos have covered an average of just 83.46 kilometres per match, the lowest figure in the entire division.
To put that into perspective, they are running around 10 kilometres less per game than the league average of 93.37 kilometres.
The contrast with Barcelona is even more striking. Hansi Flick’s side rank second in the metric with an average of 104.64 kilometres.
That means Real Madrid cover a staggering 21 kilometres less than their title rivals every game. Elche top the chart at 105.61 kilometres.
While distance covered is not the sole measure of a team’s quality, the numbers offer a telling insight into the lack of intensity that has plagued Real Madrid in the early weeks of the campaign.
A worrying trend for Mourinho
Jose Mourinho, Real Madrid coach
Mourinho must find answers during the break. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
The statistic reinforces many of the criticisms levelled at Real Madrid this season, particularly the sense that the side lacks energy and collective effort.
Pundits and former players alike have questioned the team’s work rate, with the likes of Alvaro Benito recently pointing out that the problems runs deeper than coaches and players.
The concern is that Real Madrid’s star-studded attackers, including Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappe, are not contributing enough off the ball, leaving the team disjointed.
Mourinho himself has repeatedly stressed the importance of everyone working as a unit, and these figures suggest his message is yet to fully translate onto the pitch.
With Real Madrid five points adrift of Barcelona, the international break offers Mourinho a valuable window to address these shortcomings.