Barcelona defender Gerard Pique is facing an investigation by the Spanish Football Federation (Fifa) over comments he made during a recent interview, in which he said that referees prefer Real Madrid because most of them are his fans.
A spokeswoman for the Spanish Federation said Barcelona had been informed of an investigation with Pique to determine if the defender had violated the federation regulations by questioning the integrity and impartiality of the referees.
Speaking to Mario Alfonso, better known as "DJ Mario", in an interview on his YouTube channel earlier this month;
Pique said Real Madrid won the La Liga title last season with the help of the referees' decisions, describing the decisions as "the most unusual" of his life.
The defender - who always tends to mock Real Madrid - also referred to comments made by former referee Eduardo Ituraldi Gonzalez, who said last year that 90% of the referees are Real Madrid fans, and the rest encourage Barcelona.
Pique said, "How will they not prefer Real Madrid even if they do so unintentionally? How will they not take sides over the other? I respect the referees' professionalism and know that they are performing their best, but when there is a moment of doubt, how will they act?"
According to the Spanish newspaper "Sport" (SPORT), Pique - who is recovering from a knee injury that kept him out of action since last November - is liable to a penalty of up to 12 matches suspended and a fine of up to 3 thousand euros, due to his statements.