Barcelona prepare list of referee decisions favouring Real Madrid and hurting them in 2023/24

It has been just four matches into the 2023/24 La Liga season and Barcelona are already contemplating an official complaint against referee decisions favouring Real Madrid and hurting them.

According to a report from AS, within the Catalan club’s offices, there is a profound unease regarding the recent arbitration rulings, perceived as biased in favour of Real Madrid’s interests at the expense of Barcelona’s. 

The report mentions that the club has started initiating a comprehensive analysis of the early-season events, revealing a discernible tilt in favour of Real Madrid.

Interestingly enough, leading the charge of this operation is none other than Xavi himself. The manager initially expressed his reservations about the diminishing role of VAR in referee decisions. 

However, these reservations have since metamorphosed into outright frustration, as it has become evident that VAR is falling short of its intended purpose, failing to rectify errors and administer fairness in the game.

Barcelona prepare comprehensive list of errors

In the catalogue of referee decisions, even with the advent of VAR technology, a tally of four verdicts shines favourably upon Real Madrid, while three bear a weighty detriment to Barcelona. The ledger is as follows:

On the inaugural day, a blatant penalty in favour of Athletic Club went unnoticed by Eder Militao, orchestrated by Gil Manzano. A day later, Gavi, under Soto Grado’s watchful gaze, was denied a penalty and was instead penalised.

As the second matchday dawned, Jude Bellingham’s potential handball against Almeria was not recognized by Sanchez Martinez. 

Furthermore, two clear-cut penalties that should have swung in favour of Barça against Cadiz, one involving Lamine Yamal and the other featuring Robert Lewandowski, were strangely silenced by the whistle of Muniz Ruiz.

Moving to the third chapter of the season, a goal by Celta Vigo was disallowed, the culprit being a foul on Kepa Arrizabalaga, a decision delivered by Diaz de Mera.

Meanwhile, Villarreal’s offside goal against Barcelona scored by Alexander Sorloth was upheld, an outcome dictated by the judgment of Hernandez Hernandez. 

The final chapter of this saga unfolded on the fourth matchday, with Joselu’s goal arising from a previous positional offside, all of which was captured through the lens of Melero Lopez.

Barcelona’s stance and potential roadblocks

The Blaugrana’s apprehension regarding these decisions is heightened, particularly because VAR played a role in all of them, steadfastly endorsing each call. 

Notably, the club recalls a prior incident when the Technical Committee had to issue a correction for the penalty not awarded to Barcelona due to some earlier handball situations in their first match against Getafe, acknowledging their own mistake.

As we navigate the next steps Barcelona may take, it’s important to note that the current climate of uncertainty within the RFEF, following the Luis Rubiales case, poses significant challenges in identifying suitable channels for lodging formal complaints.