Soldado: Real guilty of influencing refs

Valencia’s Roberto Soldado has blamed Real Madrid for what he calls “wrong” decisions made by match officials in the Copa del Rey.

The Spain international was adjudged to have been offside on a number of occasions when replays suggested otherwise during Valencia’s 2-0 defeat in the quarter-final first leg at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday.

Soldado believes comments from the club before the game were detrimental to the officials’ performances, and said Jose Mourinho’s side have an unfair influence on the Spanish game.

“It’s difficult to come to the Bernabeu and see all those mistakes made by referees and linesmen,” Soldado told reporters.

“In Valencia we have been silent. They (Madrid) complain a lot about the referees and there is the result.

“Referees can be wrong once, but should not be so much (as tonight). And it makes you wonder. They don’t want to withstand the pressure of being wrong against Real Madrid.

“If it has served them to talk all this week then I think there are institutes that should control their statements. Statements that come from Real Madrid nowadays do not benefit the sport.”

The two teams meet again for the second leg of the quarter-final at Estadio Mestalla on January 20.