Spanish media: 3 of the 4 referees who officiated Real Madrid this season belong to an association that previously reported the club

According to Spanish media outlet ESdiario, among the four referees who officiated Real Madrid matches in the first four rounds of the 2026/27 La Liga season, three are initiators and founding members of the Spanish Football Referees Association (AESAF). The association filed reports this year against Real Madrid, Real Madrid TV, and club president Florentino Pérez. The outlet therefore questioned whether there could be conflicts of interest if these referees continue officiating Real Madrid matches.

In the first four rounds of this La Liga season, the referees for Real Madrid matches were Mateo Busquets Ferrer (Round 1 against Real Sociedad), José María Sánchez Martínez (Round 2 against Espanyol), Juan Martínez Munuera (Round 3 against Málaga), and Alejandro Hernández Hernández (Round 4 against Real Betis).

Among them, Sánchez Martínez, Martínez Munuera, and Hernández Hernández are all listed as initiators and founding members of AESAF. According to information published in Spain's official gazette, they were among the eight referees who promoted the establishment of the referees' association in 2025.

The report stated that AESAF submitted two reports to Spain's National Commission Against Violence, Racism, Xenophobia and Intolerance in Sport in May 2026. One targeted Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez, while the other targeted Real Madrid TV and Real Madrid Football Club.

In addition, AESAF requested that the Spanish Football Federation's Competition Committee initiate disciplinary proceedings against Florentino Pérez because the Real Madrid president had previously used terms including “systemic corruption,” “stealing championships,” and “illegal profiteering” when criticizing the Spanish refereeing system.

ESdiario believes that, given the disputes between AESAF and Real Madrid, the continued appointment of referees with close ties to the association to officiate Real Madrid matches could raise questions regarding conflicts of interest and refereeing impartiality.

The Professional Refereeing Committee is responsible for appointing referees for La Liga and Segunda División matches. The body consists of Fran Soto, the chairman of the Technical Committee of Referees appointed by the Spanish Football Federation, Gregorio Manzano, designated by La Liga, and Fernando Teixeira Vitienes, selected through consultation between both sides. Referee appointments this season also receive candidate suggestions from an artificial intelligence system, but the final decisions are still made by the three members above.

Among the referees who officiated Real Madrid matches in the first four rounds, only Mateo Busquets Ferrer is not a founding member of AESAF. The other three, together with Pablo González Fuertes, Carlos del Cerro Grande, César Soto Grado, Guillermo Cuadra Fernández, and Jesús Gil Manzano, jointly promoted the establishment of the association.

The report stated that people within Real Madrid believe that repeatedly seeing such referee appointments only months after AESAF filed its reports could damage the expected “appearance of fairness” in the competition. As of the publication of the report, Spain's Technical Committee of Referees had not publicly explained why referees associated with AESAF were not avoided when assigning officials for Real Madrid matches.