Raphinha Criticizes Refereeing Standards Amid Barcelona’s Recent Defeats

omidbasir- Raphinha commented on Barcelona’s current challenges, asserting that the team is subject to different officiating standards compared to their rivals. This statement follows Girona’s 2-1 victory over Barcelona on Monday, marking the second consecutive defeat for Hansi Flick’s side.

The match at Montilivi came just days after Barcelona suffered a heavy 4-0 loss to Atlético Madrid in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinal, in both encounters, contentious refereeing decisions were prominent.

In the match against Atlético, a goal by Pau Cubarsí was disallowed for offside after a lengthy seven-minute VAR review. Conversely, Barcelona believed that Girona’s winning goal should have been negated due to a foul committed in the buildup.

In a social media post following the defeat to Girona, Raphinha acknowledged the need for improvement but emphasized that the issue extends beyond their team. “It’s very complicated when the rules differ depending on whether they favor you or not. However, if we must compete against everyone to secure victories, we are prepared to do so,” he stated.

Raphinha’s remarks come as Barcelona continues to assert that they are being held to different officiating standards. Over the weekend, the Catalan club lodged a formal complaint with the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and the Refereeing Committee (CTA), highlighting what they perceive as inconsistencies in officiating within Spanish football.

In a detailed five-point letter addressed to the RFEF and the CTA, Barcelona pointed to a lack of consistency in disciplinary actions, contradictory criteria regarding handball rulings, a series of significant refereeing errors, insufficient transparency in VAR usage, and inconsistent criteria for on-field reviews.

While Barcelona’s coach, Hansi Flick, has been cautious in his criticism of referees, he pointed out a “clear” foul preceding Girona’s winning goal. Claudio Echeverri stepped on Jules Koundé’s foot just before Fran Beltrán scored the decisive goal in the 86th minute. However, this incident was neither called as a free kick nor reviewed by VAR.

As a result of the defeat to Girona, Barcelona now finds themselves two points behind Real Madrid at the top of LaLiga. Consequently, Flick has granted his fatigued players a two-day break to recuperate before their upcoming league match against Levante on Sunday.