La Liga: how Catalan press proves Real Madrid is favoured by refereeing

Catalan media analysis claims Real Madrid receives more lenient refereeing than Barcelona, citing statistics on fouls committed and conceded across La Liga.

Catalan newspaper Mundo Deportivo has published a statistical analysis of refereeing patterns in La Liga, arguing that Real Madrid benefits from more favourable treatment by officials compared to Barcelona.

The analysis, conducted during the international break, examined fouls committed and suffered by each La Liga team. According to Mundo Deportivo's findings, Real Madrid has received the most fouls (171) while being penalised the least (102), suggesting lenient refereeing. Barcelona, despite their possession-based attacking style, has suffered the second-fewest fouls (122) while ranking 15th in fouls committed (113).

On an individual level, three Barcelona players—Fermín López, Lamine Yamal and Xavi Espart—rank among the 50 players committing the most fouls, while no Real Madrid player appears in that list. Conversely, Real Madrid players dominate the list of most-fouled players, with Jude Bellingham leading, followed by Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior and Arda Güler in the top 10.

The dispute reflects ongoing tensions between the clubs stemming from the Negreira affair, in which Barcelona faces investigation over alleged payments to a former refereeing official. Barcelona currently leads La Liga by three points after 12 matches.