Just in – Real Madrid boycott press conference, training ahead of Copa del Rey final | OneFootball

Tensions have escalated sharply just hours before the Copa del Rey final between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, set to be played this Saturday at La Cartuja.

Indeed, according to MARCA, Real Madrid have decided not to attend any of the official pre-match events organised by the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).

The Spanish capital giants have cancelled its participation in the scheduled press conference, the pre-match training session, and the official team photo.

According to the report, the decision is directly linked to the fallout from the referees’ press conference, which has triggered significant anger within the club.

As reported earlier, Real Madrid are unhappy with the comments made by match referee Ricardo De Burgos Bengoetxea as well as VAR official Pablo Gonzalez Fuertes in their press conference earlier today.

Los Blancos sought to replace the match officials citing concerns over whether the currently assigned referees can see the match through impartially. However, their request was not entertained by the RFEF.

No press conference for Ancelotti. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)

In response, Los Blancos have now decided to boycott all official pre-match events heading into the final.

Real Madrid were originally due to speak to the media at 19:15 (CET), train at 20:00 (CET), and take part in the customary photo session featuring Luka Modric and Carlo Ancelotti alongside Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Hansi Flick.

All appearances have now been cancelled, marking a historic act of protest from the club.

The situation has left officials in Sevilla stunned. While it is still expected that Real Madrid will take the field for the final, uncertainty remains.

With all tickets sold and 30,000 Madrid fans having travelled to the city, the possibility of disruption looms large.

As one off-the-record source at Estadio de La Cartuja commented, “It is assumed they will show up,” reflecting the disbelief surrounding today’s developments.