A sports commentator analyzes a soccer play in which a player from the team in blue and black uniform makes a sliding tackle while a player from the opposing team falls to the ground.
Iturralde and the possible penalty on Lamine | Camara Real Madrid Confidencial
FIRST TEAM

Iturralde takes off the scarf for a day and mercilessly hits Barça: 'Frustration'

Iturralde harshly criticizes Barça for blaming the referee of the Inter-Barça match and compares their attitude to that of RMTV

by

Alex Moreno

Former referee Eduardo Iturralde González has shown no mercy to FC Barcelona. After the defeat against Inter, the Barça team has launched harsh criticisms at the Polish referee Szymon Marciniak. For Iturralde, those complaints have no basis and only show frustration.

"The refereeing was good," he stated on Cadena SER. "What Barça did today is the same thing they have often criticized about RMTV. Today they have become what they detest," the former referee pointed out.

A group of players in green uniforms argues with a referee dressed in orange on the playing field.
Barça players demanding Marciniak | Reuters

"They criticize a correct decision, not a mistake"

Iturralde was surprised by the protests: "I thought it was a joke what I was hearing. A correct decision is being criticized. The problem is that some don't know how to manage frustration."

For him, blaming the referees doesn't help to improve. "One must look more inward. Sports performance can't always be covered up by pointing at the referee."

The penalty controversy on Lamine Yamal

The penalty that Barça claimed on Lamine Yamal was one of the focal points of the anger. But Iturralde made it clear: "It's outside the area. The rules say that a foul is penalized where it ends, not where it starts."

He also explained that when there are two contacts, only the first is called if the player doesn't fall after that. "You can't invent a different rule for each play. That's not serious," he remarked.

Regarding the action prior to Inter's third goal, where Gerard falls after contact with Dumfries, he was blunt: "There's a dispute. Yes, he touches him, but then it's Gerard who trips over the opponent. It's not a foul."

Soccer players in action during a match, one of them on the ground while others try to recover the ball.
Foul on Lamine for which they demanded a penalty | Real Madrid Confidencial

He also criticized the attitude of some former players who now comment on matches. "It seems they want to write their own rulebook. I would also change some rules, but one must explain what the rulebook says, not what one would like."

Iturralde closed his analysis with a direct jab. "Today Barça acted like Real Madrid TV. The difference is that they do it less often, but the message is the same: the referees harm us."

For him, that discourse leads nowhere. "Barça should focus more on their game than on looking for referee excuses. This time, the problem wasn't the referee."

➡️ First Team

More posts: