Barcelona feels aggrieved! After El Clásico, President Laporta stormed the referees and demanded an explanation

Losing El Clásico is always an unpleasant affair. Barcelona president Joan Laporta, however, did not want to accept this fact and wanted to take his anger out on the referees, whom he stormed into the booth after the game.

The head referee José María Sanchéz Martínez had objectively handled the biggest match in the world fine. He kept the same standard throughout the match, tried to let the game flow, and really only handed out yellow cards when there was no other option.

There were also three controversial situations in the duel. The first, which was not his responsibility, was the disallowed goal by Benzema just after half-time, when the first shot looked all over the place, but VAR found offside according to the calibrated line. The second, when Robert Lewandowski went into the penalty area, but was too willing to take the penalty and fell to the ground before making contact with Carvajal.

And the third, when he whistled a penalty on Rodry in stoppage time. There is no need to discuss the correctness of the whistle, García clearly stamped on Rodrygo’s ankle with his pedal, it was a foul without question. However, it was more of a previous situation where it looked like the Brazilian was offside. However, VAR calibrated the line and found that Jules Kounde had left his foot behind and so it was not an offside.

All in all, Sanchéz Martínez whistled everything correctly as he should have. But that’s not what Barcelona think at all. Club president Joan Laporta even came to the referee’s booth after the game to talk it over.

“When the match was over and we were in the referees’ booth, Barcelona president Joan Laporta Estruch came into the booth and repeatedly asked for an explanation of some decisions. In view of these events, he was asked to leave the referees’ dressing room without further incident,” reads the official match report by Sanchez Martínez.

It was a heavy defeat for Laporta. He believed that after a summer of great strengthening, Barcelona would fight for the top positions again. But this week he was hit with two big stabs in the back.

Firstly, a draw with Inter condemned Barcelona to the edge of the Europa League, and at the weekend a loss to their biggest rival, who moreover showed the Blaugranas that, game-wise, they are still a level above. Laporta probably didn’t bite this bitter pill and tried to find solace in the referees.

Source: RFEF, Spanish Football Association