Barcelona Files Official Complaint to RFEF and CTA Over Repeated Refereeing Errors

Spain - Ekhbary News Agency

Barcelona Escalates Refereeing Dispute with Formal Complaint to Spanish Football Authorities

FC Barcelona has officially lodged a strong protest with the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and its Technical Committee of Referees (CTA), expressing "profound concern" over a perceived "reiteration of refereeing performances considered detrimental and lacking homogenous criteria." The extensive complaint, penned by club president Rafa Yuste and addressed to RFEF president Rafael Louzán, CTA president Francisco Soto, VAR manager Eduardo Prieto, and legal director Jordi Aparisi, includes a detailed dossier of specific match incidents. These examples, accompanied by visual evidence, are presented to substantiate the club's assertion that officiating has consistently "undermined" their team.

The Catalan giants argue that there is a "lack of a clear and homogeneous criterion" in the interpretation and application of rules, leading to decisions that are perceived as unfair and inconsistent. This perceived bias, Barcelona contends, has "too often" negatively impacted their results. The club's grievances are not limited to the men's senior team, as the complaint also draws parallels with controversial decisions affecting the women's team, underlining a broader dissatisfaction with the officiating standards across the club's senior teams.

One prominent example cited involves the expulsion of Kika Nazareth from the women's team during the Spanish Super Cup semi-final against Athletic Bilbao. Barcelona characterized the elbow that led to Nazareth's red card as "fortuitous" and occurring during a fair aerial duel for the ball. This decision is starkly contrasted with a "very harsh" elbow received by Barcelona's Ona Batlle from Irune Dorado of Real Madrid in the Copa de la Reina quarter-finals. In Dorado's case, no card was issued, a decision Barcelona finds inexplicable given the severity of the foul and the subsequent red card shown to Nazareth. Barcelona's appeal against Nazareth's dismissal was ultimately unsuccessful, further fueling the club's frustration.

The complaint further elaborates on discrepancies in disciplinary actions for similar offenses. The club points to Frenkie de Jong's expulsion in the previous Super Cup final for what they describe as a "doubtless punishable" studs-up challenge on Kylian Mbappé. This is juxtaposed with the alleged absence of a direct red card for Giuliano Simeone of Atlético Madrid for a tackle on Alejandro Balde's ankle in a recent Copa del Rey match. Crucially, Barcelona highlights that Simeone's challenge was reportedly not even reviewed by VAR, adding another layer to their accusations of inconsistent oversight.

Regarding handball incidents, Barcelona presents two contrasting situations. The first involves Aurélien Tchouaméni of Real Madrid, whose handball from a shot by Ferran Torres in a Clásico match was not penalized with a penalty. The second case concerns Barcelona's own player, Balde, who committed a handball "of very similar characteristics" in a match against Levante. In Balde's case, the referee was prompted by VAR to review the incident and subsequently awarded a penalty. This disparity, Barcelona argues, demonstrates a clear inconsistency in how handball situations are judged.

The club also expresses significant "concern" regarding the application of technology, particularly VAR. Despite the increasing presence of technological aids, Barcelona claims the number of decisions going against them has risen, without adequate technical explanations. The complaint references disallowed goals for Robert Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal in recent league matches against Real Sociedad. In Lewandowski's case, VAR allegedly showed an exaggerated image of an offside foot, while for Yamal, the offside lines were deemed inconclusive yet still led to the goal being disallowed. The recent disallowed goal for Pau Cubarsí is also cited, with Barcelona questioning the clarity of the offside line shown and demanding the release of VAR audio recordings, which have not been made public.

Finally, concerning VAR reviews, Barcelona questions why the referee was instructed to review Eric Garcia's foul on Alex Baena, which resulted in a second yellow card and subsequent red, while similar or more severe incidents, such as Simeone's tackle on Balde and a clear penalty by Mojica on Lamine Yamal, were not subjected to VAR review. This selective application of technology is seen as further evidence of systemic issues.

In conclusion, FC Barcelona demands "an urgent review of criteria to guarantee uniformity in refereeing decisions, equal treatment among clubs, and the credibility and prestige of competitions organized by the RFEF." This comprehensive protest underscores Barcelona's deep-seated frustration with the officiating standards in Spanish football and their demand for greater transparency and consistency.

Ekhbary News Agency