Xavi Calls Barca Vs PSG Match Referee A Disaster: FC Barcelona manager Xavi was not thrilled with the referee of the 2nd leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-final between his team and Paris Saint Germain, calling the match official a disaster.
The match was played on April 16 in Barcelona’s Estadi Olímpic Lluis Companys Stadium. Going into the contest, the Blaugrana had a 3-2 lead in the tie. A victory in the away leg generally results in a team winning the tie, but not this time.
Barca had a strong start to the game as Raphinia made inroads into the opposition box and scored just in the 12th minute, giving his side a 5-2 lead in the tie. At this point in the match, the home team looked dominant as they took shots and controlled the ball.
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But in the 29th minute, everything changed. Barca’s defensive rock Ronald Araujo tripped PSG attacker Bradley Barcola just outside the box. While the referee rightfully did not dive the penalty, he did show Araujo the red card.
There will be debates around whether the red card was justified or not, but most agree that sending a player off in such a crucial tie for that offence was a bit too much.
Xavi, who has announced that he would step down from the Barca managerial post at the end of the season, was justifiably not thrilled with the booking. He complained bitterly to referee Istvan Kovacs which ultimately resulted in the manager being shown the red card himself.
Sent back to the dressing room for the entirety of the match, Xavi would have seen on the monitor how his side was thrashed 4-1 in the match, with the tie ending 2-6 in favour of PSG.
Xavi Calls Barca Vs PSG Match Referee A Disaster
The former Barcelona midfield maestro Xavi took to the field following the final whistle to voice his frustration against the Romanian referee.
“The referee was really bad. I told him his performance was a disaster. I don’t like to talk about referees, but it had a clear impact in the season and it has to be said,” Xavi told the media.
The 44-year-old then went on to explain how the red card to Araujo changed the complexion of the match as it was no longer an 11v11, saying –
“We are very upset and angry because the red card was the decisive factor in the match. With eleven we were in a good position, playing well and in command. It’s too much to flash a red card in a game like this. There was another game after that … It is a pity that the work of the season was ruined by an unnecessary expulsion.”
With that win, PSG reached the semi-final of the 2023-24 UEFA Champions League, where they will take on another team that came over a 1st leg deficit in the quarter-final, Borussia Dortmund.
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