Arya News - Celta Vigo have expressed their frustration with the refereeing decisions made during their defeat against Barcelona, claiming that many controversial incidents could have drastically altered the outc...
Celta Vigo have expressed their frustration with the refereeing decisions made during their defeat against Barcelona , claiming that many controversial incidents could have drastically altered the outcome of the match.
According to a report from AS , Celta are particularly upset about three key moments that occurred in the second half, all of which they believe went against them and could have resulted in crucial game-changing calls.
The first incident
The drama started in the 75th minute, with the score locked at 3-3, when the first of these contentious plays occurred.
Celta Vigo forward Pablo Duran was engaged in a one-on-one battle with Barcelona’s Inigo Martinez, who was accused of grabbing Duran as he made his way toward goal.
Duran, visibly agitated, stated after the game , “It’s very clear, and he tells me that if I had dived, the referee would have called it.”
Celta argue that the incident should have been penalised with a straight red card for the Barcelona defender, but no action was taken.
The second incident
Celat Vigo were not happy with the referee. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
The controversy did not end there. In the 90th minute, Celta felt aggrieved once again when Fer Lopez dribbled past Wojciech Szczesny and made a pass to Oscar Mingueza, who missed an open header.
Following this miss, Celta players argued that Szczesny slapped Mingueza in the face during the play, and they demanded a penalty for the apparent foul.
Some referees may have viewed this as a minor infraction and not a call for a penalty, but considering how many similar penalties have been given this season, Celta felt justified in their complaint.
The third incident
The third and final flashpoint occurred in stoppage time. Raphinha, in the dying moments of the match, committed a foul on Mingueza, prompting the referee to blow for a free-kick in Celta’s favour.
However, the Brazilian winger reacted by making a rude gesture towards the referee right in front of him. While the official did see the gesture, he chose not to issue a second yellow card to Raphinha, which would have resulted in his dismissal.
In a twist of irony, the referee penalised Celta’s Fer Lopez for protesting this moment, while Raphinha escaped any further sanction.
Celta Vigo are now voicing their dissatisfaction, pointing out that these three incidents could have had a significant impact on the match, potentially altering the final result.