Real Madrid TV to Atlético: “Short memories, respect refs at times” | OneFootball

Real Madrid responded to Atlético de Madrid in the most direct way possible. Real Madrid TV released an extensive video challenging the red-and-white side’s narrative on refereeing, bringing back statements, official releases, and various incidents involving Atlético members and Diego Simeone.

The production from Madrid’s official channel comes after Atlético’s social media campaign under the slogan ‘Stop referee harassment’, through which the club called for respect toward match officials.

Real Madrid TV’s response had one central message: “Memory is short; they ask for respect for referees, but only sometimes”.

Atlético’s past used against its current stance

The club’s channel turned to statements from Simeone and old Atlético releases to highlight what it sees as a contradiction between the club’s current message and some of its previous positions.

Among the quotes brought back was one from the Argentine coach in which he said LaLiga was “dangerously set up for Madrid”.

They also recalled his comments after the controversial Champions League tie involving Julián Álvarez’s alleged double touch from the penalty spot.

“Raise your hand if you saw the double touch,” was one of the lines Real Madrid TV put back on the table.

The Madrid channel also revived an old Atlético statement in which the club said:

“Anyone looking at it from the outside can see that the same thing has been happening for decades; that’s how the system is, we’ve grown used to it.”

Based on that material, Real Madrid TV delivered one of its most direct criticisms:

“Now they demand respect, but if they don’t like what they see, out comes the statement.”

Simeone and other incidents return to center stage

The white club’s response was not limited to statements. The video also showed footage of different confrontations between Atlético figures and referees.

Simeone appears as one of the main protagonists of the compilation, alongside episodes that are part of Atlético’s historical archive.

Among them were the moment when the Argentine coach held back Mono Burgos during an argument with a referee, a well-known slap to an assistant referee, and the incident involving Arda Turan, who threw a boot at a linesman.

With these images, Real Madrid TV sought to reinforce the idea that Atlético has also had episodes of strong confrontation with referees.

“Respect disappears when things go against you”

The central argument of Real Madrid TV’s video directly targets the ‘Stop referee harassment’ campaign.

“You ask for respect, but then you post tweets when what happens is not to your liking. Respect disappears when things go against you. If decisions benefit you, you show respect; if they harm you, not so much,” the production says.

Real Madrid TV also brought back an old post from Atlético’s official account in which the club wrote:

“Retweet if you want the rules to be applied equally to everyone.”

Real Madrid’s channel used that post to throw one of Atlético’s own messages back at them and close its response with the same argument that ran throughout the video: today’s complaints about refereeing must also be analyzed in light of past statements and actions.

So the clash between the two clubs once again moved from the pitch to the public debate around refereeing, this time with Real Madrid TV responding directly to Atlético’s campaign.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.