Spanish Referees demand Florentino apologize and pay compensation

According to Tuttosport, the controversy in Spain surrounding Florentino's recent remarks has not subsided. Spanish referees, through their union, have issued a statement demanding that the Competition Committee initiate disciplinary proceedings against the Real Madrid president, requesting him to cease such remarks, compensate for moral and reputational damages, and for the club to issue a public correction and apology.

The report points out that Florentino recently made a series of offensive statements involving Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, and referees, which are also seen as public relations maneuvers related to the club presidential elections. Earlier, Barça interim president Rafa Yuste had responded, while Atletico Madrid president Cerezo expressed himself in a more restrained manner, and the referees chose a strong stance.

In the statement issued by the referees' union, the Spanish Referees Association (AESAF) stated that these remarks "should not be considered a legitimate exercise of freedom of speech or sports criticism," because Florentino "did not merely point out individual refereeing errors," but accused the refereeing system of "committing corruption crimes for twenty years." The statement also emphasized that as the highest institutional representative of one of the world's most prestigious clubs, Florentino's identity amplifies the negative impact of his words and holds him to a higher degree of responsibility.

AESAF further put forward specific demands, stating that it hopes the Competition Committee will "preventively and urgently" order Florentino to cease making similar statements during the proceedings; demand that he compensate the referees' association for the moral, reputational, and professional damage caused; and demand that Real Madrid issue a public statement to correct and apologize. AESAF also stated that they chose to file and publicize the complaint only after the end of the current league round, while emphasizing that they would not be intimidated by this, and called it a "serious, unreasonable, and systematic" attack that "lacks the basis of a final effective judgment" and damages the professional and institutional honor of the referees' association.

Regarding Atletico Madrid's reaction, the report states that Cerezo adopted a more diplomatic tone to avoid further escalating an already highly sensitive issue. Florentino had previously mentioned Atletico Madrid when talking about Real Madrid's disappointing season, stating, "not winning the championship is the Club World Cup's fault, what should Atletico Madrid do if we are second?" implicitly suggesting that Atletico Madrid might also face a situation without titles.