Barcelona winger Raphinha voiced his frustration over what he sees as inconsistent refereeing in La Liga following his team’s 2-1 loss to Girona on Monday.
The defeat stung particularly after Girona’s late winning goal was allowed to stand, despite Barcelona’s belief that a foul had been committed on defender Jules Kounde in the build-up.
Barcelona responded by releasing a statement on Saturday criticizing what they described as inconsistent officiating, referencing a controversial disallowed goal during their 4-0 Copa del Rey loss to Atletico Madrid the previous week.
We have a lot to improve, but not just us, Raphinha wrote on Instagram. It’s very difficult when the rules seem to change depending on whether they’re for you or against you. But if we have to play against everyone to win, then so be it.
The loss to Girona leaves Barcelona in second place in La Liga, trailing leaders Real Madrid by two points.
Head coach Hansi Flick also criticized the refereeing, comparing the officials’ performance to that of his own team on the night. “The officials do their job—sometimes it’s not a good job. But they were on our level today, which maybe wasn’t a good level, Flick remarked.
