Espanyol coach praises referee Mateu Lahoz following 1-1 draw against Barcelona

Barcelona restarted their La Liga campaign with a 1-1 draw against Espanyol in the Catalan derby that caused a lot of controversy both on and off the pitch.

Heading into this game, the Madrid Central Court stirred the pot by giving momentary relief to the three-game suspension imposed on star striker Robert Lewandowski, leaving Espanyol frustrated in the process. The club had subsequently opted to not send any officials to the stadium.

Speaking after the game, Espanyol coach Diego Martinez has opened up about Lewandowski’s suspension. He called it a bizarre move and praises his team for managing to get a draw against Barcelona at home.

“The decision to let Lewandowski play was strange and surprised everyone, but we competed against all odds and against an opponent with a lot of potential,” said Martinez.

Despite starting the game, Lewandowski endured a frustrating game against Espanyol. He was involved in the attacking side of things, but his finishing left a lot to be desired, as Barça could only muster one goal.

The Espanyol coach went on to talk about the referee Mateu Lahoz, who made a record by giving 15 yellow cards and two red cards during the match – beating his own personal record.

Lahoz’s decision to hand Jordi Alba a red late in the game, in particular, irked Barcelona fans and players alike, as they thought the decision was unwarranted.

Diego Martinez, though, praised Lahoz after the game. “Mateu Lahoz is one of the best referees in the world,” he said.

Martinez’s comments hardly come as a surprise and are indicative of the growing animosity between Barcelona and Espanyol.