The media bomb exploded in England, but the echo immediately reverberated throughout Europe. Pep Guardiola, known for his surgical precision in both tactical analysis and public statements, crossed a line that few coaches have dared to even look at.

Operating almost as an investigator rather than a coach, Guardiola launched accusations that have put Real Madrid, UEFA and even the Champions League itself in a position of maximum tension.

According to the Catalan coach, he and his technical team carefully reviewed all the recordings of Real Madrid’s matches since the start of the season. It was not a superficial analysis nor motivated by simple curiosity.

Guardiola stated that he had received “several internal alerts”, coming from analysts who found strange patterns in repetitive referee decisions. Intrigued, he decided to personally supervise the review of the meetings.

What he found—if what he stated is taken literally—is, according to him, “impossible to ignore.” Guardiola assured in a press conference that at least 70% of Real Madrid’s victories this season depend directly on clearly advantageous referee decisions.

He spoke of non-existent penalties, dubious expulsions, ignored fouls and even VAR reviews that, in his words, seemed manipulated or “intentionally directed.”

The press room was frozen. Even the most experienced journalists remained silent for several seconds, surprised by the crudeness and forcefulness of the accusation.

It was evident that Guardiola was not having one of his usual days of competitive tension; There was something else, something he seemed ready to reveal bluntly.

Guardiola added that what worried him most was not the accumulation of controversial decisions but the apparent synchronization between them, as if they were not isolated accidents but a repetitive pattern that intensified at key moments in the matches. “It’s not normal,” he insisted.

“It can’t be a coincidence.”

But what really set the football scene on fire came later. With an almost calculated tone, as if measuring each consonant, Guardiola suggested the existence of an improper link between a senior Champions League official and the president of Real Madrid, Florentino Pérez.

He said that “people who should not be in contact were… and at very delicate moments at the beginning of the season.”

He then commented something that left everyone breathless:“And yes, I have proof. All of it.”

The phrase fell like a meteorite in the European football ecosystem. Attendees began to shift restlessly, some journalists raising their hands hoping to ask the obvious question, while others frantically checked their phones for initial reactions. Guardiola did not back down or soften the impact.

He simply repeated that he was evaluating when, how and to whom he would present this supposed evidence.

Real Madrid, for its part, quickly announced that these were “delirious accusations, inappropriate for a professional of Guardiola’s stature,” and warned that they will take legal action if the Manchester City coach does not rectify his words.

From Chamartín they describe the episode as a desperate attack to justify City’s recent failures against the white giant in European competitions.

However, media pressure increased when several sports networks confirmed that there were indeed meetings – although not necessarily irregular – between club directors and UEFA members during the aforementioned period.

The information, although incomplete, fueled the theory of some City supporters about possible preferential treatment for Real Madrid within the competition.

On social networks, the discussion has become a battlefield. Madrid fans respond that Guardiola has been obsessed with Real Madrid for years, especially because of City’s recent history of eliminations at the hands of the white team.

For them, it is a psychological pressure strategy to condition the referees in future rounds. On the other hand, fans of Manchester City and other European clubs demand that UEFA fully investigate the allegations, arguing that football must be “transparent, impartial and clean.”

Meanwhile, UEFA remains silent, probably assessing the possible institutional tsunami that could be unleashed if a formal investigation is opened.

The organization is at a crossroads: ignoring the statements could be interpreted as an implicit admission, but investigating them could destabilize the image of the most prestigious competition in the world.

Guardiola, far from backing down, seems ready to raise the tone even further. And although he has not yet publicly presented his “evidence”, the simple fact that he has hinted at possessing it has placed European football in a state of shock.

The sports world now looks towards Manchester, Madrid and Nyon, waiting for the next move in a story that many believe could become the most explosive scandal of the last decade.