Over the years, Barcelona fans have strongly felt that the system in Spain is engineered against their team.
The refereeing has been the major point of debate, with many feeling that decisions quite overtly go against Barcelona and it is not entirely unwarranted either.
Not only in terms of VAR decisions and penalty kicks but also in matters as small as the amount of extra time added to games, Barça have had to bear the brunt of some questionable officiating.
Some referees seem to be highlighted more than others when it comes to the alleged bias against Barcelona.
Barcelona’s first three games of the new season, on that front, have been nothing short of sensational considering the team’s situation on multiple fronts.
After all, they have not only overcome three great opponents but also some of their biggest referee ‘rivals.’
On their league opener for the 2024-25 season, Flick’s side faced off against Valencia at Mestalla.
The appointment of Jose Maria Sanchez Martinez as the referee only complicated matters for the team but they pulled off a victory unperturbed even winning a penalty on the night.
Fast forward seven days, they took to the field against Athletic Club at Montjuic with Jesus Gil Manzano as the match official.
For perspective, the Spanish referee is the individual who has had to be corrected the most number of times since the introduction of VAR (63). Notably, no other referee crosses the 50 mark on that front.
Yet, Barcelona gave him no scope to inflict any damage and took all three points.
Last night, they were up against Rayo Vallecano at Vallecas with Cesar Soto Grado as the referee.
Unsurprisingly, the game had a fair share of controversy as Barcelona were robbed in broad daylight by being denied two clear penalties – one for a foul on Dani Olmo and the other for a clear handball.
Further, Robert Lewandowski’s goal was ruled out for a completely natural challenge by Jules Kounde.
Despite the setbacks, the Azulgranas came back from 1-0 down to take all three points, defeating their third ‘rival’ in as many games.
