Real Madrid coaching staff and dressing room angry over refereeing double standards | OneFootball

Real Madrid are currently second in the La Liga table, winning four of their five games and sitting behind Barcelona, who have enjoyed a perfect start. They face Elche next.

Los Blancos have mostly played some good football during this period, with Jose Mourinho making an early positive impression on the squad.

However, Madrid’s frustration with refereeing decisions has reached both Jose Mourinho’s coaching staff and the dressing room.

According to El Chiringuito TV journalist Juanfe Sanz, there is anger inside Madrid over what the club consider inconsistent refereeing criteria.

The complaint reportedly centres on a penalty awarded involving Lamine Yamal and two incidents involving Real Madrid that were not punished in the same way.

Madrid question consistency of decisions

The key issue from Madrid’s perspective is apparently not one isolated call, but whether similar situations are being judged according to the same standard.

Madrid feel that similar fouls on their players are not being punished in the same way as some others, and this could end up influencing games when it matters most.

Players like Vinicius need to be protected by referees. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)

While there are no claims to suggest that these decisions are inherently incorrect, it all comes down to the referee’s interpretation of a situation.

This has been an age-old problem in La Liga, and this is not the first time Los Blancos have felt aggrieved by a refereeing situation.

Mourinho’s staff share the frustration

What makes it significant is that this frustration extends beyond just the dressing room and into the coaching staff.

If Mourinho’s coaching staff also believe Madrid have been on the wrong end of inconsistent decisions, that could shift the focus away from the football.

No club can reasonably expect every disputed decision to go its way. What players and coaches do expect is that comparable incidents are assessed using comparable criteria.

However, what they also cannot afford to do is let such situations get into their heads and become excuses in the longer run.

Madrid must keep focus on the pitch

Jose will know better than to let refereeing inconsistency dominate the dressing room. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

There will inevitably be extra attention whenever Barcelona and Real Madrid incidents are compared, particularly when a controversial penalty is involved.

Madrid have every right to question decisions they believe have been inconsistent. However, Mourinho will also know that allowing refereeing frustration to dominate the dressing room would achieve little.

The strongest response remains winning matches convincingly enough that marginal calls become less decisive.

Madrid cannot control how referees behave in La Liga, and the only hope is that such situations do not end up hurting them in the longer run.