Barcelona’s Raphinha blasts refereeing double standards in La Liga

Barcelona winger Raphinha has criticised what he described as refereeing double standards in La Liga after his side suffered a 2-1 defeat to Girona on Monday, February 16.

The Catalan club were angered by the decision to allow Girona’s late derby winner to stand, believing there had been a foul on defender Jules Kounde in the build-up to the goal. The controversy comes just days after Barcelona released a statement raising concerns about inconsistent officiating following a disallowed goal in their 4-0 Copa del Rey loss to Atletico Madrid.

Reacting to the latest incident, Raphinha took to Instagram, writing: “We have a lot to improve, but not just us. It’s very difficult when the rules are different if they are for you or against you, but if we have to play against everyone to win, then fine, we will do it.”

The defeat leaves defending champions Barcelona second in the La Liga standings, two points behind leaders Real Madrid.

Head coach Hansi Flick also expressed frustration after the match, suggesting the standard of officiating matched his team’s display. “The (officials) do their job, sometimes it’s not a good job, but they are on the same level as we played, so it’s maybe not a good level,” he said.