Real Madrid's dressing room fumes as referees allow relentless fouls
In the Mestalla stadium last night, Real Madrid secured a comfortable victory, yet the dressing‑room erupted in fury as the referee permitted an unprecedented 26 fouls against Los Blancos, a rate of one every three and a half minutes for the match.
The referee allowed Valencia players to commit a variety of fouls, leaving Los Blancos frustrated by the unwarranted physicality. It is not the first occasion this season that opponents have been permitted to foul Real Madrid openly, a situation that now bothers the dressing‑room. Diario AS reported that the squad feels unprotected and targeted by more fouls than any other side in the league.
The 26 fouls recorded at Mestalla represent the highest tally in any La Liga fixture this campaign. There is no clear explanation for the lack of protection, and many suspect the club’s ongoing feud with referees is influencing on‑field decisions, something the players say cannot be tolerated. The squad’s anger has peaked after the Valencia encounter.
Real Madrid secures win at Mestalla against Valencia
Historical foul record
The Spanish outlet notes that Real Madrid have been the victim of the last three La Liga games in which 26 or more fouls were suffered – the recent match, a December 2024 clash with Getafe that yielded 26 fouls, and an October 2025 meeting with Getafe that saw 27 fouls. In the current season alone, Real Madrid have endured 171 fouls across 12 games, second only to Racing Santander’s 161. Barcelona have been fouled 108 times and Atletico Madrid 113 times.
Jude Bellingham tops the league’s fouling chart with 31 infringements. Four of the top ten most fouled players are from Real Madrid, with Vinicius Jr., Kylian Mbappe and Arda Guler joining Bellingham.
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