The referee eavesdropped on the players? Scandal after the FC Barcelona match
According to Spanish media reports, a scandal occurred during the break of the match between FC Barcelona and Atletico Madrid. Line referee Raul Cabanero allegedly listened to the players to detect potential unfavorable comments about the referees’ work.
FC Barcelona defeated Atletico Madrid 1-0 in front of their home crowd, and the only goal was scored by a player loaned to Blaugrana from Rojiblancos, Joao Felix. The referee showed several yellow cards to both the players and Xavi, who got into discussions and questioned his decisions. During the break, an unusual situation occurred that should not have happened.
Media: The referee eavesdropped on FC Barcelona players
According to Catalan media, FC Barcelona was harmed in the match against Atletico Madrid. According to the daily “Sport”, in the first half Blaugrana was entitled to a penalty kick after Gimenez fouled Joao Felix in the sixteenth minute. A lot of accusations were directed towards the referees of this duel, but the situation during the break was the most bizarre. The same source provided the behind-the-scenes of the match, which in some cases is shocking.
Journalist Jordi Gil reported that the line referee of this match, Raul Cabanero, went to the FC Barcelona locker room immediately after the first half to eavesdrop on the players’ behavior and catch any negative comments about the referees’ work. He was to do the same after the meeting. Moreover, Edu Polo, the spokesman for the Spanish champions, allegedly warned the side judge not to cause unnecessary tension and told him to identify himself.
The entire event was allegedly witnessed by the coach of the Pride of Catalonia, Xavi. Thanks to the victory over Atletico Madrid, FC Barcelona moved up to third place in the La Liga table, four points behind leader Real Madrid and the same number of points behind second-place Girona. Robert Lewandowski has been waiting to get on the scoresheet since November 12, when he scored a double against Deportivo Alaves. Blaugrana’s next match will be against Girona on December 10.
