The RFEF announces another change in the arbitration designations to 'stop' Real Madrid TV

Just three days before the official start of LaLiga EA Sports 25/26, the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), through the Arbitration Committee of Professional Competition (CACP), has made a novel decision to know who will referee each match of the season, with the aim of curbing the controversial reports issued weekly by Real Madrid Television ('RMTV').

“The Arbitration Committee of Professional Competition (CACP), body of the Royal Spanish Football Federation that is responsible for the arbitration designations of professional football, will publish the arbitration teams of each match the day before its dispute before 4:00 p.m.”, argues the statement from LaLiga and the RFEF.

Likewise, the institutional statement of the organizing bodies of Spanish football states that this is “a decision that is part of the series of reorganization measures of the arbitration establishment adopted for this season among all the actors of Spanish football”.

Thus, this Thursday, August 14, the referees of the matches on Friday the 15th will be known; that same day those of Saturday and so on with all the matches of First and Second Division, ends the informative note of the authorities that govern football in Spain. That is, the judge of Mallorca-Barça (Saturday at 7:30 p.m.) will be known on Friday afternoon.

Changes in the CACP: A former coach will make decisions

LaLiga and the RFEF have made changes this season. One of them was to modify the team in charge of the CACP, which will now be coordinated by Fran Soto Balirac, Fernando Teixeira Vitienes and former coach Gregorio Manzano Ballesteros.

In this way, Manzano Ballesteros became the first former coach to be on this commission. Previously, the CACP was made up of Luis Medina Cantalejo, Arturo Daudén Ibáñez and Evaristo Puente Leira.

The RFEF and LaLiga stand up to Real Madrid TV

In the recent past, when arbitration designations were known in advance, the referees suffered pressure campaigns through the media when they were not to the liking of a team. On Real Madrid TV, the white team's institutional channel, they have repeatedly charged against the majority of referees of the Federation.

Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea, César Soto Grado and Javier Iglesias Villanueva have been some of the referees most persecuted by the reports of 'RMTV' before and after each day. The controversies, in fact, have also extended to the Copa del Rey.

In the final of the 24/25, against Barça, Madrid even threatened not to play the match in La Cartuja after the designation of De Burgos Bengoechea as the main judge was known. Will the RFEF and LaLiga manage to reduce arbitration controversies and stop the harassment of referees in 25/26?