One thing felt totally different forward of this Copa del Rey last. Not simply the stakes, not simply the venue in Seville’s Estadio de La Cartuja, however the temper—tense, bruised, and blistering with drama. Actual Madrid’s explosive conflict with the Spanish Soccer Federation (RFEF) over referee picks despatched shockwaves by the soccer world. However whereas Los Blancos made headlines with formal complaints and fiery press conferences, Barcelona responded with ‘silence’—or at the very least, phrases whispered loud sufficient to echo throughout Spain.
In a fixture already swollen with historical past, pleasure, and political weight, the buildup has grow to be a psychological warzone. And the Catalan giants, as an alternative of taking part in into the chaos, turned the highlight again on their rivals in a relaxed however reducing manner.
Referee row threatened last
The drama started when Actual Madrid voiced their outrage over the appointment of Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea as match referee and Pablo Gonzalez Fuertes because the VAR official. Their complaints stemmed from criticism the VAR official had allegedly made in opposition to the membership’s Actual Madrid TV content material, which frequently critiques referees pre-match.
The stress escalated when De Burgos Bengoetxea was reportedly dropped at tears throughout a press convention, overwhelmed by the strain and public scrutiny. Actual Madrid demanded a change in officiating workers and even canceled their scheduled coaching and press appearances, casting doubts on whether or not they would take part within the last in any respect.
De Burgos Bengoetxea rompe a llorar en la rueda de prensa previa a la last de Copa: “Cuando un hijo tuyo va al colegio y hay niños que le dicen que su padre es un ladrón y llega a casa llorando eso es muy jodido”
“The stand-off positioned the ultimate in jeopardy,” reported Relevo, “with talks of Madrid refusing to play until modifications had been made.” For a short second, a weird state of affairs loomed by which Barcelona may face Actual Sociedad as an alternative.
The RFEF was allegedly ready to ban Madrid from the match ought to they pull out, however by Friday night, the membership confirmed they’d play in spite of everything. Nonetheless, Florentino Perez’s determination to skip the normal pre-match dinner confirmed that relations stay icy.
With all eyes on the storm brewing in Madrid’s camp, Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong stepped ahead with level-headed resolve. Talking to Barca One, he made it clear that the chaos round Madrid solely sharpens the Catalan focus. “You don’t want extra motivation earlier than a Clasico,” he mentioned. “The final two instances we gained convincingly, however which means nothing. These video games are all the time 50-50.”
Yamal and Gavi stoked the psychological fireplace
The cool-headed feedback from De Jong had been balanced by delicate however searing taunts from Barcelona’s youthful stars. Lamine Yamal, the 17-year-old winger and 2024 Euro Younger Participant of the 12 months, stirred up social media with cryptic Instagram tales simply hours earlier than kickoff. “Silence speaks louder” and “Quantity off”, learn the textual content overlays. Yamal’s phrases sparked heated debates on-line, with Madrid followers firing again by flaunting their membership’s 15 Champions League titles to Barcelona’s 5.
Lamine Yamal earlier than the Copa del Rey last in opposition to Actual Madrid…
“Silence speaks louder.”
“Quantity off.”
“Mission’s not over but.”
However maybe the sharpest edge got here from Gavi, who reignited his private rivalry with Vinicius Jr. on Fb. The midfielder posted a throwback picture of their heated scuffle from the final El Clasico, with the caption “Prepared once more.”
The historical past between the 2 is already spicy. After Barcelona thrashed Madrid 4-0 final October, Gavi reportedly mocked Vinicius on the pitch. The Brazilian responded by claiming, “Sure, sure, however on Monday I’m going for the Ballon d’Or.” Besides that assertion aged poorly—the Brazilian finally misplaced the award to Rodri, regardless of main Madrid to a La Liga and Champions League double.
