It would be the big final in Spanish football’s most stored rivalry – Real Madrid against BarcelonaA COPA DEL REY -final set under the lamps in Sevilles Estadio La Cartuja. But when the hours ticked down to the kickoff, the question was on everyone’s lips about tactics or title glory. It was something much more surreal: Will this match even happen?
The tension around this final has reached a fever pitch, one that extends far beyond the plan and into the press room, federation office and now, social media war zones. And after a dramatic 24 hours filled with boycott, emotional press conferences and burning club statements, Real Madrid has finally made an official decision.
This final would never bear so much weight for Los Blancos. A season that began with optimism has since been spiraled to disarray. Real Madrid has crashed out of the UEFA Champions League, stumbled into La Liga and now clung to Copa del Rey as a last chance to save a campaign characterized by inconsistency.
“Saturday’s Clasico -Showdown may end up in a measuring stick on how far Carlo Ancelotti’s side has fallen,” noted an early report from Bein SportCatch the mood in the Madrid camp. The team that started the season tipped to win everything has looked fragile, clinging to narrow victories and moments of individual brilliance.
Judge shoots back – and feelings spill over
The storm really ignited on Friday, when Match referee ricardo de burgos bengoetxea and Was official pablo gonzalez fuertes held an outstanding press conference. What was meant to be a routine media look became something extraordinary.
Gonzalez Fuertes Took a tangled tone: “There is more unity than ever among judges … We will do history, because we will not continue to endure this.” Then came the more human moment. De burgos bengoetxea, visibly shaken, broke into tears: “When your son goes to school and they call his dad a thief, it hurts. I’m just trying to teach my child that his father is honest.”
For Real Madrid, this was not seen as vulnerability but as bias. In response, the club boycotted his training sessionskipped the official press conference and refused to participate in the traditional dinner before the matchto choose silence as a form of protest.
Real Madrid’s official statement: Decision made
When whispers of a boycott swirled online, the truth finally arrived. On Friday night, Los Blancos released a formal statement that confirmed their participation in the final. “Real Madrid communicates that our team has never considered giving up playing tomorrow’s final,” The club announced.
“Our club believes that the unfortunate and inappropriate statements made 24 hours before the final of judges who have been appointed for this match cannot defeat a sporting event of global importance … We also respect all fans who plan to travel to Seville, and all those already in the Andalusian capital.”
“Real Madrid believes that football values must prevail, despite the hostility and enmity that has been shown again today against our club by these judges appointed for the final.”
