14 August 2023 , 09:23
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Xavi has furiously labelled LaLiga "an absolute embarrassment" after Barcelona were denied a penalty in the dying embers of their 0-0 draw with Getafe for a handball which he claims was "invented."
Barca thought they were about to receive a spot kick in the 103rd minute of their season opener after right-back Ronald Araujo was kicked inside the box. Referee Casar Soto Grado was advised to review his original decision of no penalty on the pitch-side VAR monitor, but while watching replays he noticed that Barcelona midfielder Gavi had used his arm to knock the ball on during the build-up.
To Xavi and his side's astonishment, Grado blew his whistle and signalled for a handball, awarding a free-kick to Getafe. During his tense post-match press conference, the Barca boss slammed Grado's decision and hit out at LaLiga officials.
"If this match is La Liga's product, it's an absolute embarrassment," Xavi, who received a red card during the ill-tempered fixture which saw both teams reduced to 10 men, raged. "I understand why people don't watch our football.
"The handball given to Gavi was invented. They told us in a meeting that only very clear handballs would be given and Gavi's wasn't one, yet they gave it anyway. They told us they would use VAR less and I don't know if VAR is there to help or not. I don't see the point of that meeting.
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"I was sent off for telling the referee they were allowing Getafe to get away with a lot of fouls and not doing the same for us. We had a meeting with the referees and the first change they said they would make is that they would understand the coaches more, and the tension we feel on the pitch. But that is not what happened, and I don’t understand it."
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Referee Cesar Soto Grado didn't give Barcelona a penalty because of a contentious handball (Angel Martinez/Getty Images)Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong was also furious after the final whistle but chose to focus on the officials' apparent poor time-keeping, as Getafe's players continually ran the clock down in a match which lasted over two hours. "It's a real shame that La Liga makes decisions like these," De Jong bemoaned.
"Getafe wasted 20 or 30 minutes. The referees and the league have to take different decisions, like the Premier League. They added nine minutes, but in the second half, Getafe wasted 25-30 minutes."
Araujo added on the decision not to award a last-minute spot kick: "There was a clear penalty, but there are no excuses, we have to improve. There was a clear penalty, even the player who took me down admitted it to me. I didn't see any handball by Gavi."
Goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen also admitted: "It was a difficult and strong game from both sides. I think we played a good game. Getafe are an uncomfortable team to come up against. They didn’t create much danger, while we had a couple of clear chances to win."