SEVILLE, Spain: Copa del Rey final referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea welled up on Friday when speaking about pressure officials have faced from Real Madrid TV this season.
Madrid take on rivals Barcelona on Saturday in the Spanish cup final in Seville and this week the club’s television channel launched a video attacking the official, which they have done to various referees this season.
Los Blancos also published an open letter in February claiming Spanish refereeing was “rigged” and “completely discredited.”
“When a child of yours goes to school and there are kids telling him that his father is a ‘thief’ and comes home crying, it’s totally messed up,” De Burgos Bengoetxea told a news conference.
“What I do is try to educate my son, to say that his father is honest, above all honest, who can make mistakes, like any sportsperson,” he continued, becoming emotional.
“This is really messed up... but the day I leave (the job), I want my son to be proud of what his father is, and what refereeing is, it has given us many values.”
Wiping away tears, the 39-year-old called for deeper thought on the issue of referee abuse.
“It’s not right what we are going through, many colleagues, and not just in professional football, but also at grassroots level,” he added.
“Everyone should reflect about where we want to go, about what we want from sport and from football.”
Pablo Gonzalez Fuertes, the referee in charge of VAR for the final, suggested officials could take further action over Real Madrid TV’s broadcasts in the coming weeks.
“Have no doubt that we are going to have to start taking much more serious measures than we are taking,” said Gonzalez Fuertes.
“We will not continue to allow what is happening. Soon, you will hear from us.
“We are going to make history, because we are not going to continue to bear what we are putting up with.”

BOLOGNA, Italy: Bologna eased into the Coppa Italia final following a 2–1 victory over Empoli at home on Thursday, which handed them a resounding 5–1 aggregate win as they set up a showdown with AC Milan.

Bologna strolled into their Coppa Italia semifinal second leg with a comfortable cushion, with Empoli facing an uphill task of overturning a three-goal deficit.

Giovanni Fabbian compounded Empoli’s misery after just seven minutes when the unmarked midfielder headed in a cross to extend Bologna’s aggregate advantage.

While the visitors may have felt their Coppa Italia run was already over, they still responded in the 33rd minute as Ola Solbakken’s angled drive was parried by Federico Ravaglia into the path of Viktor Kovalenko, who slotted in the rebound.

Both sides used the closing stages to express themselves more freely, playing with flair and imagination, but it was Thijs Dallinga who met a cross to head in another Bologna goal four minutes from time, sealing the win.

First final in 51 years

Bologna will play in the Coppa Italia final for the first time since their victory in 1974.

“It was a goal, the dream of this city and the club: we have honored this competition from the start, and when you reach the final stretch, everyone wants to go all the way,” Bologna manager Vincenzo Italiano told Mediaset.

“We dedicate this final to the people of Bologna, who support us tremendously.”

Bologna will face Milan at the Stadio Olimpico on May 14.

“That would upset Milan, but we hope to play a great match, arriving in top condition,” Italiano added.

“Our self-esteem is already sky-high, and we know we’re facing a team of champions, but we’ll try to use our strengths. We can’t wait to get to Rome, and we hope to have those 30,000 fans at the Olimpico.”