A soccer referee in a light blue uniform is pointing to his ear while a tweet mentioning the appointment of a referee for a final is overlaid, with the crests of two teams in the background.
The Catalan Press Celebrate the Selection of De Burgos Bengoetxea for the Final | Camara Real Madrid Confidencial
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Maximum Alert: Culers Press and Fans Applaud the Referee of the Copa Final

Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea will be the referee in charge of officiating the Copa del Rey final

by

Sergio Iglesias

The Technical Committee of Referees selected Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea last Monday to officiate the Clásico that will be played at La Cartuja next Saturday, April 26. Real Madrid and Barça will face each other once again, this time in a Copa del Rey final.

The choice surprised many, as César Soto Grado was, until recently, the main candidate according to the refereeing officials in Spain. However, the appointment of the Bilbao referee has not brought much calm to the offices of Valdebebas nor among the followers of Real Madrid. Real Madrid fans have fresh memories of the controversies involving Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea with the Madrid team.

A soccer referee in a yellow uniform with a microphone on the field.
Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea will be the referee for the Copa final | Real Madrid Confidencial

Despite the controversial decisions, both from the VAR room and on the field, Real Madrid has expressed its concern about the CTA's choice. The Technical Committee of Referees, led by Luis Medina Cantalejo, has highlighted Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea on several occasions as the "best Spanish referee."

Barcelona Applauds the CTA's Decision

In the Ciudad Condal, the decision of the Technical Committee of Referees seems to have been well received. In fact, the Catalan press publicly celebrated the appointment of the referee for next Saturday's match. "The best First Division referee for the final," commented Gerard Romero on 'X'.

Despite holding such distinguished credentials, the Copa del Rey final will be the fourth Clásico that Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea officiates in his entire career as a referee. In addition to his prominent position in Spanish soccer, Real Madrid officials also recall that the Basque referee is not part of UEFA's elite category.

Soccer players from two teams compete for the ball in a match.
Real Madrid are not happy with the referee of the Cup | Real Madrid Confidencial

The entity presided over by Aleksander Ceferin doesn't consider Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea one of the best referees in Europe. This could explain why he has only been appointed to officiate three matches in the Champions League qualifying phase. Additionally, he has not been part of any Euro Cup, not even since the implementation of VAR in international tournaments.

With all this, Real Madrid once again observes with some distrust the appointment of a referee who doesn't bring good memories to the club or its fans.

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