The headline from As newspaper, “Contaminated Final”, best describes what happened on the day before the match scheduled for 23h at La Cartuja Stadium in Seville. This type of radiation isn’t measured by a Geiger counter, but it’s dangerous — very dangerous — for football on the Iberian Peninsula, which has long been steeped in division and controversy. This is just a new, extreme phase it has reached. After everything that happened on Friday, no one in Spanish football feels even remotely comfortable. Even clubs like Atletico Madrid reacted, summarizing the sentiment of many (neutral) observers of Friday’s chaos with their message: “Enough with destroying the image of Spanish football”.King without king’s manners – protest about the referee before El ClasicoReal Madrid and Barcelona are giants — no doubt about it — and are largely responsible for the global prestige Spanish football enjoys. But sometimes, they forget that it’s equally their responsibility to nurture and protect it. This time, the radiation came from Real Madrid’s reactor. It all started with an unfortunate video broadcast on the club’s TV channel, listing incidents where the final’s referee, Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea, allegedly wronged Real Madrid. The club believes this referee “clearly displays animosity and hostility toward Real Madrid.” The bomb was thus dropped from Madrid’s side. This was followed by a rare, emotional press conference by the referees, during which they made it clear they would no longer tolerate pressure, that the glass was overflowing, and that they would soon take much more serious measures than they have so far. They emphasized that clubs and individuals constantly paint targets on their backs.Disaster for Real Madrid – Camavinga’s season is over!And that press conference, as unusual and unexpected as it was, didn’t end the story. Real Madrid then issued a statement announcing they would skip training and their scheduled press conference, where Carlo Ancelotti and Luka Modrić were supposed to speak. Later, rumors emerged that Real Madrid might not even take the field for the final — a scandal without precedent in Spanish football history. However, late in the evening, Real issued a second statement clarifying that such an option was never considered and that they would definitely play:”In light of the rumors circulating in recent hours, Real Madrid states that our team has never considered withdrawing from the final. Our club understands that the unfortunate and inappropriate statements made by the referees assigned to this match, 24 hours before the final, cannot tarnish a global sporting event that will be watched by hundreds of millions of people. Out of respect for all fans traveling to Seville and those already here, Real Madrid believes the values of football must prevail, despite the hostility and animosity evident today” the statement read.Vinicius and Rodrygo advocate for AncelottiSo, where has all this left the final in Seville? In a dead end, no doubt. Instead of talking about the brilliance of Lamine Yamal on one side and Kylian Mbappe on the other, about the thrilling football and tactical duels between Hansi Flick and Carlo Ancelotti, we are now trapped in a poisoned story of refereeing errors, conspiracies, and injustices. Instead of a Saturday dessert flavored with southern Spain in El Clasico style, we got a bland pudding made of mud. After such a “starter,” it’s fair to say the final result tonight almost doesn’t matter. The match will forever be tainted by the mud thrown at it, mud that, it seems, will not be easily washed away.300 milions for Barca’s superstar!The problem in Spanish football isn’t having two irreconcilable halves — Barcelona and Real Madrid have always been two worlds within one nutshell, and somehow coexisted despite their rivalry. The real problem is that conflicts are multiplying rather than being solved for mutual benefit; they’re just swept under the rug. The issues both clubs have had with football authorities in recent years have grown too large to ignore. Thus, it’s clear: this final will not produce a true winner. The problem will remain. Many believe the decision to skip training and the press conference was cooked up directly in the office of Real Madrid president Florentino Perez.Regragui reveals talks with Yamal over Morocco roleAs a result, fans were deprived of hearing from the players — unlike Barcelona, whose coach Hansi Flick completed his duties and shared his thoughts.”What should I say now? For me, it’s just sport, just a game, that’s football. It’s our responsibility to protect the players and everyone involved. It’s not nice. Of course, there are emotions on the field, but after the match, we must move on. Fans and everyone who loves football want to see the players. Of course, we need referees too, and we must also take care of them. It’s unfair not to. We must respect all clubs, coaches, and players. We must enjoy the final. We have a young team, and it will be a great experience for them. In a final, there’s no favorite. We want a good start and to fight for the trophy” said Hansi FlickMessi: “I wanted to return to Barcelona”Barcelona will be handicapped by the injury of their striker Robert Lewandowski, who will miss the final. Ferran Torres will play up front, Flick confirmed. As for Real, silence. They chose to stay mute before the final, communicating only through official statements. Regarding Kylian Mbappe’s ankle injury, he will likely grit his teeth and play, but Eduardo Camavinga is ruled out. For Real Madrid, this final is a chance to somewhat salvage their season. The atmosphere at the Bernabeu has been severely shaken by recent failures — the team failed to reach the Champions League quarterfinals and trails Barcelona by four points in the La Liga title race. Clearly, not everything can be blamed on the referees.COPA DEL REYFinal23:00: (2.20) Barcelona (3.60) Real Madrid (3.15)***odds are subject to change***
