Barcelona is no stranger to controversy, and the latest scandal has the football world abuzz. The allegations against the referee in the 2-1 win against Athletic Bilbao in the Spanish Super Cup final have raised eyebrows, and the Spanish Football Federation has been forced to investigate.
In this article, we’ll break down what the scandal is all about, what the allegations are, and what the potential repercussions could be for Barcelona and the referee involved.
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What happened in the Spanish Super Cup final?
The Spanish Super Cup is an annual football tournament in Spain that pits the winner of La Liga against the winner of the Copa del Rey. This year’s final was played between Barcelona, the Copa del Rey winners, and Athletic Bilbao
In a tight and heated match, Barcelona emerged victorious, with Lionel Messi scoring a goal and providing an assist. However, it was the refereeing decisions that stole the headlines.
What controversy happened in Barcelona?
The referee in question is Juan Martinez Munuera, and the allegations against him center around two incidents during the match. The first occurred in the 57th minute. When Messi appears to be fouled in the box by Athletic Bilbao defender Inigo Martinez. However, Munuera did not award a penalty, much to the dismay of the Barcelona players and coaching staff.
The second incident occurred in the 80th minute when Munuera awarded a penalty to Athletic Bilbao for a handball by Barcelona defender Gerard Pique. The decision was controversial, as Pique appear to have his arms close to his body and did not deliberately.
After the match, Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman accused Munuera of bias, stating,
“The referees sometimes make mistakes against us. But it’s hard to understand that a professional referee, with VAR, doesn’t see a clear penalty on. Messi, and then a few minutes later, decides to give a penalty against us.”
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