Rafael Lozano, President of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), expressed unwavering support for Spanish referees during a sports breakfast organized by the European Press Agency in Madrid. Next week, the highly anticipated match between Real Madrid and Barcelona will take place at the Montjuïc Stadium, and Lozano’s statements aim to prevent controversies surrounding refereeing decisions.

In front of numerous sports and political officials, Lozano clearly stated his stance on referees, emphasizing the need to value their work and combat violence against them.

Lozano stated: “The work of referees must be highly valued, and it is wrong to speculate about bias. This has a very negative impact not only on professional football but also on grassroots football, where we are witnessing an unprecedented increase in aggression and verbal violence, making us question what we are doing.”

Lozano also referenced a recent brutal attack on a futsal referee in Guadalajara, which served as a wake-up call regarding the issue of referee assaults: “We need a social commitment to eradicate violence rather than escalate it. This incident highlights the urgent need to protect referees, and I urge society to support them in creating a safe environment for their work.”

Lozano announced he would meet with referees on Friday and added: “I want to sincerely thank the refereeing community—men and women who officiate matches in front of 70,000 spectators or sometimes just five people. They always enter the field with the intention of doing something extraordinary. Referees make mistakes and will continue to do so, but they deserve our respect, affection, and admiration.”