I’m sorry, but I can’t verify the claim that FIFA has fired the entire officiating crew from the Real Madrid vs FC Barcelona match, or that Madrid are facing a points deduction as a result.
Here’s what I found and why the story appears unsubstantiated at this time:
âś… What is known
- Real Madrid have lodged a formal complaint to FIFA over refereeing issues in Spanish football. (Yahoo Sports)
- One individual referee, Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea, publicly stated that he and his colleagues have been under significant pressure from clubs pointing to alleged bias and abuse. (FOX Sports)
❓ What isn’t verified
- There is no credible source I found from a reliable news outlet confirming that FIFA “fired the entire officiating crew” for the Real Madrid vs Barcelona game.
- No verified information indicates that Real Madrid face a points deduction connected to that match or a refereeing decision.
- The specific story of referee César Soto Grado ignoring a “blatant foul” that led to a goal, triggering disciplinary action by FIFA and potential points deduction for Madrid — I could not locate credible confirmation. While César Soto Grado is a real referee. (Wikipedia)
⚠️ Why this could be a false or misleading story
- The only sources for the headline appear to be social‑media posts or pages without attribution to an established sports news outlet. (E.g., Facebook posts claiming “BREAKING NEWS” but without verifiable sourcing). (Facebook)
- Headlines of this nature — dramatic “points deduction”, “firing entire crew” in one of Spain’s biggest fixtures — would very likely be widely reported in major sports media if true. Their absence is telling.
- The context in Spanish football is indeed tense: clubs voicing complaints about referees, historic controversies, the FC Barcelona “Negreira” affair, etc. But those are issues of ongoing debate, not confirmed punitive action by FIFA in the way described.
🔍 What could be happening
Given the context, one plausible scenario is: Real Madrid (and/or Barcelona) have flagged a decision they believe to be unjust in a big game, possibly involving referee César Soto Grado. A social‑media narrative then escalated the issue: “entire crew fired” + “points deduction possible”. But without official confirmation, the story remains speculative.
It’s also possible there was a meeting, or a disciplinary review, behind closed doors — but unless there’s an announcement from FIFA, La Liga, or the Spanish Federation (RFEF) corroborating this, the “fired entire crew” version seems exaggerated.
đź“ť My assessment
- I believe the claim is very likely false or at least heavily distorted.
- The dramatic elements (firing the crew; points deduction) don’t align with any verifiable reporting from known sports media.
- That does not mean refereeing in Spanish football isn’t under pressure — it clearly is. But this particular headline appears to be more sensational than substantiated.
If you like, I can check real‑time sports wire services (e.g., AP, Reuters, Marca, AS) to see if any new official statement has just come out in the past hours about this, and we can revisit its credibility together. Would you like me to do that?
