Xavi Slams Referee: "It Was a Disaster"
The Barcelona coach was very critical of the refereeing performance in the second leg against PSG.
The Barcelona coach, Xavi Hernández, criticized the refereeing performance in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals against Paris Saint-Germain (1-4), a tie that, in his opinion, changed after Ronald Araujo's expulsion in the 29th minute.
"We're leaving upset, enraged because I think the play marks the tie. When we played eleven against eleven, I think we were well positioned defensively. There's another tie from that play. It was too much to call red in that play. It's not good for football to be left with ten players and there's another game there," Xavi said in statements to Movistar Champions League.
The Barcelona coach, who was ultimately sent off for protesting, considered it "a shame that the work of a whole season ends" due to a refereeing decision.
"I like to play eleven against eleven for all minutes. We know there are expulsions in football, but this one is unnecessary," added the coach from Terrassa, who after the match approached referee Istvan Kovacs to tell him that he did "very badly" and that his performance was "a disaster."
After the expulsion, Xavi acknowledged that he hesitated whether to change Pedri or Lamine Yamal, the assistant for Raphinha's first goal, but defended his decision to substitute the homegrown player.
"We hesitated because Pedri is also coming back from an injury, but we wanted some control, with the ball up there we had Raphinha, Lewandowski, and Cancelo, but we changed Lamine, who was fine. As much as we talk, the play marks the tie," he concluded.
Already from the press room, the Barcelona coach maintained the same discourse - "from calm and reflection," he said - recalling that in the first leg the referee did not show the second yellow to Vitinha, interpreting that he could not leave a team with one player less in a Champions League tie.
"Araujo steps aside and Barcola falls. I would have liked to play eleven against eleven. In today's football, it has to be a very clear action for a team to be left with one less," Xavi pointed out. And he added that the team "is not having luck" with the refereeing since he arrived at the Barcelona bench.
Beyond the expulsion, Xavi lamented specific errors in the play of the first goal and Cancelo's penalty on Dembélé with which Mbappé unbalanced from the penalty spot.
Despite the elimination, the Barcelona coach praised his players: "We are building something that can be beautiful and fruitful, we have competed well and have had a very good Champions League, against great teams in Europe, I am very proud, with young people who will mature... Barça will return and will return stronger."
