As a referee, you by no means wish to develop into the story of the match, however that is simply what occurred within the Derbi Barceloni between Barcelona and Espanyol on Saturday. The two groups drew 1-1 which sees Barcelona again degree with Real Madrid atop La Liga however referee Antonio Mateu Lahouz gave out 14 bookings throughout the match, taking all the headlines in what was a bodily contest. It included a whopping three crimson playing cards, one in all which was overturned resulting from a VAR assessment.
Does his identify ring a bell? If you watched any of the FIFA World Cup, it absolutely has to. Lahouz is similar referee who handed out 17 yellow playing cards throughout the World Cup quarterfinal between Argentina and the Netherlands,which is an astonishing quantity. He has now given out 32 playing cards in his final two matches with one being rescinded. Some of the playing cards had been warranted however after Barcelona conceded a penalty to Espanyol, that is when when the sport really went off the rails. Jordi Alba was handed a yellow card throughout Espanyol’s celebrations which was rapidly adopted by a second yellow for dissent. That led to confusion and 5 yellow playing cards being proven in solely three minutes resulting from Lahouz dropping management of the sport.
Barcelona supervisor Xavi wasn’t happy with what occurred when it got here to his staff’s effort within the draw and Lahouz’s conduct in officiating.
“Mateu controls and dominates the matches and right this moment he has misplaced it. Today he handed out playing cards and I advised him on the finish, he have to be the decide and for me the sport received uncontrolled, sure,” Xavi mentioned after the match. “I am unable to management the referee. What he has seen, what he has felt, what the gamers have advised him. What am I going to say?”
After that match throughout the World Cup, Lahouz was despatched dwelling and Argentina keeper and Golden Glove winner Emiliano Martinez had some selection phrases to say.
“The ref was simply giving every little thing for them. All of a sudden they received an excellent header, an excellent flick after which it turned the other way up.” Martinez mentioned after Argentina’s win. “Then the ref was giving every little thing for them. He gave 10 minutes [of stoppage time] for no cause. It was a free kick for them exterior of the field like two or thrice. He simply wished them to attain that is principally it, so hopefully, we do not have that ref anymore. He’s ineffective.”
Lionel Messi additionally added, “[FIFA] cannot put a referee like that for a recreation like this, with a recreation of a lot significance the place the ref is not on the degree.”
Barcelona created sufficient possibilities to win the match however with nearly your complete staff on yellow playing cards, it is fairly powerful to get issues going. With Real Madrid profitable their match in opposition to Valladolid through a late Karim Benzema double on Friday, Barcelona’s slim two-point benefit within the league has evaporated.
If the title is determined by two factors or fewer, that is definitely a recreation that may very well be seemed again on. It shall be fascinating to see if La Liga opinions Lahouz’s efficiency, however even when it leads to an apology to the groups, that will not make up for the dropped factors and the insecurity groups will proceed to have in him.
