Joan Laporta’s stark message about referee committee admitting error in Barcelona’s La Liga loss to Girona
Barcelona has been subject to some refereeing mistakes in recent matches. The error that sparked the most controversy was the one that led to the loss to Girona, which gave Real Madrid the momentary lead in La Liga standings. Joan Laporta posted his thoughts on the recent resolution.
A previous complaint concerned an offside flagged on Pau Cubarsí in the 4-0 Copa del Rey defeat to Atletico Madrid. That incident sparked outrage at the club. This week the CTA of the RFEF, the Spanish federation’s technical committee of referees, sided with Barcelona.
Laporta said: “The pressure on Jules Koundé was obvious. Nobody’s going to give us the lost point back. It was clear. Admitting the mistake is a step, but they are not giving the point back. We have mixed feelings. Let’s hope this does not get repeated.”
CTA’s full explanation
The controversial play was decisive in Barcelona’s defeat to Girona. With the match tied 1-1, Girona scored with just five minutes remaining. In the action, Claudio Echeverri stepped on Koundé in the lead up to the goal.
The CTA stated: “Law 12: Fouls and Misconduct clarifies that a reckless stamp constitutes a foul and a caution. Contesting the ball does not exempt a player from committing an offence. If a player steps on an opponent using excessive force, it must be sanctioned.”
Their resolution was that it was a foul: “The Girona forward removes the defender from the defensive action, and the infringement should therefore be punished with a foul and a yellow card. VAR should intervene, as this involves a clear and obvious error, and advise the referee to change the decision.”
Barcelona’s answer
Barcelona regained ground over the weekend to put the point margin back in their favor. That may have tempered the club’s response, but they posted a short message on social media: “Owning a mistake is a big step. Avoiding it is the next.”