Recently, Real Madrid’s official TV channel has, unusually, found itself on the same side as Atlético Madrid, launching a fierce attack on refereeing standards in La Liga. In one of its programs, the channel analyzed a controversial incident involving Barcelona defender Gerard Martín during a match against Atlético, bluntly accusing the refereeing body of serious “double standards” and even hinting at an invisible “hidden hand” influencing matches.

The controversy centers on a rescinded red card shown to Martín. The player was initially sent off by the referee, but after VAR intervention, the decision was downgraded to a yellow card. This reversal not only sparked strong dissatisfaction from Atlético Madrid but also became a key talking point for Real Madrid TV. The program contrasted this with Federico Valverde’s red card in a previous match against Atlético—where VAR did not intervene—resulting in the Uruguayan midfielder missing a crucial game against Mallorca.

Real Madrid TV questioned sharply: “Why was Valverde’s red card not corrected by VAR, while Martín’s was? The same situation, yet one counts and the other doesn’t—why? That red card directly caused Real Madrid to lose Valverde for the Mallorca match.”

The program also criticized the referees’ technical committee for inconsistency. In Matchday 25, Valentín Gómez stepped on an opponent but was not shown a red card, and the committee later admitted it was a missed call. However, in Martín’s case, the committee chose to ignore the issue.

To support its “double standards” claim, Real Madrid TV presented data on VAR intervention trends. The figures suggest that Barcelona has benefited more: 13 favorable VAR decisions compared to 7 unfavorable ones. In contrast, Real Madrid has been on the losing end, with only 3 favorable decisions and 11 unfavorable ones.

Journalist Miguel Muñoz concluded on the program: “Looking at these numbers, combined with the significant difference in red cards and the earlier ‘Negreira case,’ it’s hard not to believe there’s a ‘hidden hand’ at work. These double standards make it impossible for me to trust the referees. The criteria are constantly adjusted to favor Barcelona. Given this situation, how can VAR referee Melero López deliver fair decisions? They always complain about the videos released by Real Madrid TV, but we are the only media exposing what is truly irregular. That’s why I don’t trust them.”