Spain’s Technical Committee of Referees (CTA) is reportedly concerned that tensions surrounding Real Madrid could escalate before the club faces Barcelona in El Clasico on 25 October, according to Cadena SER.

The concern follows several disputes over refereeing decisions involving Madrid, while Vinicius Junior’s availability for the match remains uncertain.

CTA Concerned About Rising Tensions Before El Clasico

Cadena SER reports that the CTA fears tensions involving Real Madrid, its supporters and the media could intensify in the build-up to El Clasico. The report has not been accompanied by a public statement from a named CTA or RFEF official.

Former international referee Iturralde Gonzalez accused Jose Mourinho’s coaching staff at Real Madrid of contributing to tensions surrounding matches, arguing that the approach was already familiar from Mourinho’s earlier spell at the club. “This was already happening in my day,” he said on Cadena SER.

The Refereeing Decisions Behind Real Madrid's Dispute

The dispute intensified after Real Madrid’s 2-1 defeat to Atletico Madrid on 20 September. Referee Miguel Angel Ortiz Arias initially showed Dean Huijsen a yellow card for a challenge on Giuliano Simeone before upgrading it to a red after a VAR review.

After the match, Madrid argued that Atletico should have had two players sent off for challenges by Cristian Romero on Jude Bellingham and Lee Kang-in on Federico Valverde. The CTA subsequently identified Lee Kang-in’s challenge as a clear and manifest error but did not reach the same conclusion about Romero’s challenge.

The CTA later described the failure to send off Lee Kang-in for his challenge on Federico Valverde as a “clear and manifest error”, saying VAR should have intervened. It did not identify Romero’s challenge on Bellingham as the same type of clear error.

La Liga president Javier Tebas argued that a refereeing error was not evidence of a conspiracy against Real Madrid. The club subsequently described his remarks as “intolerable”.

Real Madrid beat Villarreal 1-0 on 10 October, but Vinicius Jr was sent off after a VAR review showed him pulling Nathan Saliba’s hair in the build-up to a disallowed goal. Referee Isidro Diaz de Mera’s report stated that Vinicius protested the decision aggressively and was held back by teammates.

Mourinho did not attend the post-match press conference, and the club gave no public explanation for his absence.

Will Vinicius Miss El Clasico, and Who Will Be the Referee?

The RFEF Competition Committee had not announced a disciplinary decision on Vinicius. The club is expected to appeal, but his availability for the Barcelona match depends on the ruling.

Vinicius Jr’s suspension length remains uncertain, with estimates ranging from one to three matches under Article 130 to two to four. The disciplinary committee’s charge and final ruling will determine the ban.

Los Blancos are scheduled to face Sevilla on 18 October before travelling to Barcelona on 25 October. A suspension covering both matches would rule Vinicius out of El Clasico.

The referee for El Clasico has not been officially confirmed. Radio Marca has reported that Alejandro Hernandez Hernandez could take charge, but the appointment remains unconfirmed. Barcelona lead La Liga with 24 points, while Real Madrid have 18 points and sit fourth, six points behind their rivals.