Something felt different ahead of this Copa del Rey final. Not just the stakes, not just the venue in Seville’s Estadio de La Cartuja, but the mood—tense, bruised, and blistering with drama. Real Madrid’s explosive clash with the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) over referee selections sent shockwaves through the soccer world. But while Los Blancos made headlines with formal complaints and fiery press conferences, Barcelona responded with ‘silence’—or at least, words whispered loud enough to echo across Spain.
In a fixture already swollen with history, pride, and political weight, the buildup has become a psychological warzone. And the Catalan giants, instead of playing into the chaos, turned the spotlight back on their rivals in a calm but cutting way.
Referee row threatened final
The drama began when Real Madrid voiced their outrage over the appointment of Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea as match referee and Pablo Gonzalez Fuertes as the VAR official. Their complaints stemmed from criticism the VAR official had allegedly made against the club’s Real Madrid TV content, which often critiques referees pre-match.
The tension escalated when De Burgos Bengoetxea was reportedly brought to tears during a press conference, overwhelmed by the pressure and public scrutiny. Real Madrid demanded a change in officiating staff and even canceled their scheduled training and press appearances, casting doubts on whether they would participate in the final at all.
❗️ De Burgos Bengoetxea rompe a llorar en la rueda de prensa previa a la final de Copa: “Cuando un hijo tuyo va al colegio y hay niños que le dicen que su padre es un ladrón y llega a casa llorando eso es muy jodido”
“The stand-off placed the final in jeopardy,” reported Relevo, “with talks of Madrid refusing to play unless changes were made.” For a brief moment, a bizarre scenario loomed in which Barcelona could face Real Sociedad instead.
The RFEF was allegedly prepared to ban Madrid from the tournament should they pull out, but by Friday evening, the club confirmed they would play after all. Still, Florentino Perez’s decision to skip the traditional pre-match dinner showed that relations remain icy.
With all eyes on the storm brewing in Madrid’s camp, Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong stepped forward with level-headed resolve. Speaking to Barca One, he made it clear that the chaos around Madrid only sharpens the Catalan focus. “You don’t need more motivation before a Clasico,” he said. “The last two times we won convincingly, but that means nothing. These games are always 50-50.”
Yamal and Gavi stoked the psychological fire
The cool-headed comments from De Jong were balanced by subtle but searing taunts from Barcelona’s younger stars. Lamine Yamal, the 17-year-old winger and 2024 Euro Young Player of the Year, stirred up social media with cryptic Instagram stories just hours before kickoff. “Silence speaks louder” and “Volume off”, read the text overlays. Yamal’s words sparked heated debates online, with Madrid fans firing back by flaunting their club’s 15 Champions League titles to Barcelona’s 5.
🚨👀 Lamine Yamal before the Copa del Rey final against Real Madrid…
“Silence speaks louder.”
“Volume off.”
“Mission’s not over yet.”
But perhaps the sharpest edge came from Gavi, who reignited his personal rivalry with Vinicius Jr. on Facebook. The midfielder posted a throwback image of their heated scuffle from the last El Clasico, with the caption “Ready again.”
The history between the two is already spicy. After Barcelona thrashed Madrid 4-0 last October, Gavi reportedly mocked Vinicius on the pitch. The Brazilian responded by claiming, “Yes, yes, but on Monday I’m going for the Ballon d’Or.” Except that statement aged poorly—the Brazilian ultimately lost the award to Rodri, despite leading Madrid to a La Liga and Champions League double.
