There are suggestions in Spain that referee Danny Makkelie, who is billed to handle Real Madrid-Chelsea encounter today, may be biased because of Los Blancos president’s roles in the botched plot to establish European Super League.

Madrid-based paper Marca hinted at UEFA bias on their controversial front page, suggesting that Real fear reprisals after their failed Super League bid.

It was predictable that after Perez led the failed European Super League launch, the narrative was going to be that the club would now be the victims of UEFA reprisals.

Marca’s front page ‘Fair Play Ceferin’ put match referee Danny Makkelie at the centre of the spotlight and it was his picture above the Fair Play headline on the front page.

Spain’s football show El Chringuito ran a far more vigorous campaign, however. “How are we not going to think bad of Ceferin? How are we not going to doubt after the threats of Ceferin?” its midday show asked on Monday.

“And tomorrow [Tuesday] Real Madrid v Chelsea – have you mentally prepared? Have you taken it onboard?

“Let the Real Madrid players prepare themselves. They should make sure they are careful. They will have to play the perfect game. But perhaps that will not be enough.”

The most serious claim, according to the Mail, was repeated in the programme’s late-night slot, with the accusation that at least one Real Madrid player ‘feared’ the refereeing the team might encounter in tonight’s game.

When El Chiringuito tweeted the same editorial line, many responded ridiculing the tone and the content. “In the Spanish League everything has been gifted to Madrid for decades’ said one response.

Another read: “Hahaha this is the club that has benefited from from referees in the history of football.”