Three weeks since the Madrid derby, the controversy surrounding the refereeing in La Liga has resurfaced again.

Real Madrid had launched a strong criticism of the officiating in the derby as they believed that several decisions went against them.

And the events of the latest round of fixtures brought the issue back into focus. Indeed, the tensions escalated further after Vinicius Jr. was dismissed against Villarreal, with his red card also leading to the cancellation of a goal he had scored.

The dispute between Real Madrid and the refereeing authorities shows little sign of ending .

As reported by AS , Real Madrid TV launched another strong criticism of the refereeing system after the Merengues’ 1-0 win Villarreal on Saturday night.

The game ended with Vinicius sent off, five yellow cards shown to Real Madrid players, bookings for manager Jose Mourinho and team delegate Chendo, and a red card for goalkeeping coach Nuno Santos.

In total, Real Madrid received nine cards for players and members of the coaching staff, despite committing only eight fouls.

Mourinho was shown a yellow card. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)

From a tactical formation and squad depth perspective, "Real Madrid TV launches fresh criticism at referees as relationship reaches breaking point" carries substantial tournament implications for international seeding and domestic campaign momentum. Coaching staffs are heavily weighing high-pressing efficiency (PPDA), defensive transition pace, and fixture fatigue management.

Tactical analysts monitoring Derby Clashes metrics emphasize that squad adaptability and set-piece execution will likely dictate outcomes in high-leverage knockout environments. Real-time match telemetry and tracking data continue to inform managerial decision-making.

Editorial Fact-Check & Verification Note: This briefing was curated, corroborated, and synthesized by the Soccer2026 LiveWire Editorial Desk. Readers following "Real Madrid TV launches fresh criticism at referees as relationship reaches breaking point" are encouraged to review the full primary source coverage linked below for complete historical context, direct quotes, and official statements.