Following a week dominated by complaints surrounding match officials, Fran Soto struck his trademark calm tone: "I think the season is progressing well. Every single match can have incidents that are open to interpretation. I am convinced that the average standard in Spain is the best in the world. Any referee can take charge of any match. I reiterate that we are completely confident."

Soto brushed aside concerns over credibility amid persistent external scrutiny: "We focus on our own job. Beyond that, any comment from a club or a manager... they have every right to hold their views, and we respect those opinions. We must distance ourselves from media pressure. The committee provides every resource to ensure elite training. We remain detached from all the media noise out there."

"We know it is 'Clasico' week, which always triggers massive media hype, but we are working hard to ensure officials perform at their very best. We try to shut out the noise and work. Judge us on our work. The standard of the referees is high. It happens every year and we accept that reality. Our goal is simply to perform at the highest level," he concluded.