Real Madrid President Wades Into Refereeing Debate to Imply Barcelona Star Is a 'Cheat'
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has continued to wage his club's war on referees, this time appearing to take a jibe at Barcelona striker Luis Suarez following Cristiano Ronaldo's five-match suspension for pushing a referee earlier this season.
The 70-year-old insists he remains baffled as to why their Clasico rivals seem to continue receiving the rub of the green when it comes to officiating, stating the men in the middle should be concentrating their attention more on those who simulate in the game than his Blancos stars.
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During a meeting with the club members, the Spanish businessman, without naming names, seemed to accuse Barca's Uruguayan striker of trying to deceive the officials, and stated he believes it is people like the 30-year-old who should be sanctioned for their actions.
"There are gentlemen who pretend and don't get anything..." Perez said, as reported by Spanish news outlet Sport.
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"In the end, the broken dishes are paid for by those who never simulate (Cristiano Ronaldo). Everyone makes mistakes, but it is always against a player. You have to punish the cheaters."
The 2017/18 La Liga campaign is just six fixtures old, but already there are signs of the unrivalled animosity showing between the two European giants. This could be partly due to the fact Madrid already find themselves seven points adrift of league leaders Barca - with the Catalan giants showing no signs of slowing up any time soon.
In addition, with the first Clasico of the term not until five days before Christmas, there is still a long way to go before both sides are able to settle their differences on the pitch.
