The AESAF (Spanish Association of Football Referees, the union backing football referees in Spain) has filed complaints against Real Madrid President Florentino Pérez, the club itself and its TV channel, Real Madrid TV, "in defense of the dignity, integrity, and protection of Spanish referees".
It comes one week after Pérez, in an unusual press conference when he called for new elections (he will be elected automatically next Sunday unless his only possible opponent, Enrique Riquelme, announces a candidacy before Saturday), said that referees have "stolen them seven leagues", including this season, where they "stole 16 or 18 points from us".
The referees union said that the "dissemination of content that systematically questions or discredits the refereeing community, contributes to deteriorating the climate of respect necessary for the proper conduct of sporting activity and can foster situations of tension, hostility, or violence towards referees", as they vow to use legal and institutional channels to combat "any manifestation of violence, harassment, or discrediting of refereeing."