Atletico condemn Real´s unprecedented attack on referee

Real Madrid are deliberately trying to pressurise the referee ahead of next week´s city derby and are in danger of provoking violence by their unprecedented attack on his impartiality say Atletico Madrid.

Real said on Friday that the referee for next Saturday´s match against Atletico had a record of prejudicing their interests in past encounters.

They also claimed that referee Bernardo Gonzalez Vazquez had been appointed as a result of pressure from Atletico and that he was a self-confessed supporter of arch-rivals Barcelona.

But Atletico responded to the accusations with a firm condemnation of Real´s behaviour.

"Atletico Madrid would like to express their regret and their most energetic rejection of the information issued on Real Madrid´s website," the club said in a statement.

"The accusations are false and tendentious and cause both offence and surprise given that they come from a club that claims to respect referees."

"Such deliberate and orchestrated statements can only provoke tension between the clubs ahead of the derby ... and generate violence between the fans as well as putting incredible pressure on the referee."

"Atletico Madrid would like to make it clear that they are only interested in obtaining success by means of the hard work and effort of our players on the pitch, respecting the rules of fair play and good conduct."

Real had launched an unprecedented attack on the referee via their official website on Friday.

"We now know the referee for next Saturday's game between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid," they said.

"Bernardino Gonzalez Vazquez refereed Real Madrid against Villarreal last season, a game in which he clearly prejudiced the interests of the whites by making numerous errors, although that did not prevent a 2-1 victory for Madrid."

"At first Cesar Muniz Fernandez was going to referee the game, but following pressure from Atletico Madrid, Bernardino Gonzalez Vazquez, a self-confessed fan of Barcelona and a man who is protected by the president of the Referees' Committee Victoriano Sanchez Armino, was chosen instead."

Real said that Gonzalez Vazquez was the author of what they claim were "seven deadly sins" in last season's match against Villarreal.

He sent off Real players Zinedine Zidane and Walter Samuel as well as Villarreal defender Quique Alvarez during the encounter at the Bernabeu.

Last month Real Madrid threatened to call for their 1-0 defeat at Espanyol to be overturned because they claimed the referee had blown his whistle moments before the winning goal was scored, but they eventually backed down.

Real president Florentino Perez has said on a number of occasions since coming to power five years ago that the club had a policy of not criticising referees and recently claimed that it would do all it could to help match officials do their job more effectively.

Neither the Spanish league (LFP) nor the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) have made any comment about the case.