Real Madrid Defends Its TV Channel After Gara Comparison | OneFootball

Real Madrid issued a strong public response to journalist Juanma Castaño on Tuesday, after the Cope broadcaster compared Real Madrid TV with the newspaper Gara in an opinion column for ABC. The club said in a statement that it reserves the right to take whatever measures it deems appropriate, though it stopped short of confirming any legal filing.

Real Madrid warns of possible measures

The response came two days after the Madrid derby, with Los Blancos objecting specifically to the wording of Castaño’s column rather than his broader criticism of the club. Real Madrid described the comparison as deplorable and unacceptable, framing it as an attack on the reputation of its official broadcaster.

The statement made clear the club is not treating this as a routine media disagreement, adding that it reserves the right to take whatever measures it deems appropriate in response to what it called an unacceptable attack.

The refereeing dispute behind the response

The row is tied to lingering anger over the performance of referee Miguel Angel Ortiz Arias in the derby against Atletico Madrid, a result Real Madrid have continued to dispute. The club maintains that several decisions went against it, including two first-half incidents involving Atletico players that it believes should have resulted in dismissals, and it has kept the debate alive through Real Madrid TV’s coverage of refereeing decisions, something it has done regularly in recent seasons.

The club’s reaction to Castaño

Real Madrid’s objection centred on Castaño linking Real Madrid TV to Gara, a newspaper whose history the club’s statement ties to the ETA terrorist organisation, calling the comparison an exercise that crosses all limits. The club also defended Real Madrid TV’s right to inform and to represent the interests of the club, its members and its fans, describing it as the official outlet of an institution with 124 years of history, in comments echoed by El Confidencial. The episode sits alongside the club’s existing rules around public criticism of the institution.

What happens next

Real Madrid have not specified what form any further action might take, and the statement leaves open whether this becomes a formal legal dispute or is resolved through public pressure alone. For now, the club’s position, as reported by Yahoo Sports, is that it is reserving its options rather than confirming any concrete step.