Barcelona boss Xavi rails at referee after Gerard Pique and Robert Lewandowski see red in win over Osasuna
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Published 09/11/2022 at 09:29 GMT
'All the decisions by the referee went against us," Xavi said after his side's controversial late victory over Osasuna that sent them five points clear in La Liga. The win was all the more impressive given Robert Lewandowski was sent off after half an hour. Gerard Pique, in his final professional match, was also sent off - despite only being a substitute - for foul language.
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Barcelona boss Xavi lambasted referee Gil Manzano after his side's controversial 2-1 La Liga win over Osasuna, claiming "all the decisions went against us".
It was a fiery encounter at El Sadar, with Robert Lewandowski sent off after just over half an hour after incurring his second yellow for a clumsy challenge.
Barcelona's players were incensed at that decision, all the more so because David Garcia had already given Osasuna a similarly contentious lead on six minutes.
Matters then got worse at half-time as Gerard Pique - in his final professional appearance before retiring - also saw red for foul language directed at Manzano.
Nonetheless Barcelona fought back, and second-half goals from Pedri and Raphinha got them their three points that sent them five points clear at the top of the table.
“We felt that [the refereeing] wasn’t just, we felt they were against us and that’s why we reacted so strongly," Xavi said afterwards.
“We celebrated this win as if everything was against us. The goal we conceded was a foul, then Lewandowski was sent off.
"All the decisions by the referee went against us and we thought we grabbed a win in a game we might draw."
Xavi added: “We showed personality and character, and we proved that we’re a team."
A document published by Mundo Deportivo revealed what Pique had said to Manzano to trigger his sending-off.
“Did you see the corner you gave against us? You are the referee that has f***ed us over the most by a distance. It’s a f****ing disgrace. F*** your mother.”
Xavi admitted afterwards that - after a crisis at centre-back - he had planned to play Pique in his final-ever game, before his expulsion.
“I was going to use Pique," he said.
“We knew that Chad [Riad] was going to come in, Andreas [Christensen] was struggling with an injury. Eric [García] had some discomfort in the warm-up. And we were forced to not have him start.
"We did think about bringing in Gerard, but he was sent off at half-time when things got tense.”
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