Spain Before the Copa del Rey quarter-final match with Bilbao, coach Xavi said he did not want to have a war of words with Real and put more pressure on the referee team and VAR.
"I believe in the honesty of referees and I don't like the pressure they are under," Xavi said at his pre-match press conference. "Everything else is a question for the referees themselves. I prefer to talk about technical matters, how Barca play, how they exploit the spaces. If you ask me about anything else, you already know my answer. Look at the previous press conferences. From there, analyse for yourself what happened. Judge for yourself and I'm sure we will have the same opinion."
Barca coach Xavi during the La Liga match against Betis at the Benito Villamarin stadium in Seville on January 21, 2024. Photo: AP
The controversy over the refereeing erupted after Real Madrid came from behind to beat Almeria 3-2 at the Bernabeu in round 21 of La Liga. Almeria led 2-0 at half-time, but suffered three controversial refereeing decisions in the second half and lost.
Real Madrid TV , the official channel of the club, then announced that it would review and investigate all 600 matches that Xavi played for Barca while he was still playing. The channel also mentioned that the Catalan club was accused of paying a bribe of 7.3 million USD to the former vice president of the Council of Referees (CTA) Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira.
Xavi was not surprised by these harsh reactions from Real and maintained his stance. The Spanish coach also did not want to participate in the media war with Real, but wanted to focus on Barca's upcoming matches. "I always respect Real," Xavi said. "I don't like such wars. The controversy is not related to me, but took place in the match between Real and Almeria. I only gave my personal opinion. I answered when I received the question out of politeness."
Asked if the controversy had affected Barca, the 43-year-old replied: "If anything, it must be a positive influence. If I say so, we have to work very hard to win La Liga. So let's put all that anger and resentment into competing better and winning."
Meanwhile, president Joan Laporta added fuel to the fire with harsh statements at a party organized by Mundo Deportivo on January 22. "What happened at the Bernabeu is a disgrace," said the Barca president. "Referees must cope with the pressure they are under throughout the season. Otherwise, we will feel that they are neglecting their duties."
Hong Duy
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