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Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez criticized the refereeing in LaLiga after his team’s goalless draw against Getafe, stating that it is damaging the league’s reputation. Xavi accused the referee of being too lenient with Getafe and inventing a handball against Barca. Both teams ended the match with 10 players. Getafe coach Jose Bordalas disagreed with Xavi’s comments, calling them a way of justifying Barca’s failure to win. Despite their efforts, Barcelona couldn’t find the back of the net and extended their winless streak at Getafe. Sam Marsden,Moises Llorens reported
Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez heavily criticized the refereeing in LaLiga following his team’s disappointing goalless draw against Getafe on Sunday. He expressed his concern that the poor officiating is detrimental to the league’s reputation. The match saw both teams reduced to 10 men after Raphinha and Jaime Mata were sent off, while Xavi himself was also dismissed for his comments towards the officials.
Xavi accused referee Cesar Soto of being too lenient towards Getafe and claimed that he fabricated a handball against Gavi to avoid awarding Barcelona a late penalty for a foul on Ronald Araújo. Xavi remarked that the match was hardly watchable and if this is the quality of football being offered in the league, it is an embarrassment. He emphasized the need to speak up against such poor officiating.
Barcelona was frustrated early on by several incidents that went unpunished, including two body checks by Damián Suárez. Xavi believed that these incidents contributed to the hostile atmosphere, eventually leading to Raphinha’s expulsion for an elbow. He held the officials responsible for allowing Getafe to waste time and disrupt the game, emphasizing that it was unfair treatment towards his team.
The match witnessed further drama during 15 minutes of second-half stoppage time when Soto reviewed a potential penalty incident involving Araujo. However, he ultimately awarded a handball against Gavi instead, a decision that Xavi disagreed with. Xavi argued that if it wasn’t a clear handball, it should not have been called, as per the instructions given in the referee’s meeting.
Getafe coach Jose Bordalas suggested that Xavi’s comments were an attempt to divert attention from Barcelona’s dropped points in the season opener. Bordalas believed that Xavi’s criticism of the officials was merely a justification for not winning the game with the talented squad at his disposal. He disagreed with Xavi’s accusations and stated that Getafe did not benefit from the officiating, highlighting that they received more bookings and the most violent moment of the game came from Raphinha.
Despite Barcelona’s efforts to score, including a close attempt by Raphinha that hit the post, their numerical advantage after Getafe’s Mata was sent off, and several late chances created by Lamine Yamal, they were unable to find the back of the net. This marked their fourth consecutive goalless draw at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez, a disappointing outcome for Xavi. He acknowledged that a point was not satisfactory for Barcelona, but emphasized the difficulty of the game and referenced their draw at the same venue last year..
