Barcelona winger Raphinha has publicly accused La Liga referees of applying different rules to his club following a controversial 2-1 defeat to Girona at the Estadi Montilivi on Monday, February 16, a result that handed Real Madrid the summit of the Spanish top flight.
The flashpoint arrived in the 86th minute when Girona midfielder Fran Beltran netted a late winner that Barcelona insisted should have been ruled out. Referee Cesar Soto Grado did not whistle for an apparent infringement by Claudio Echeverri on Jules Kounde in the build-up, while Video Assistant Referee (VAR) official David Galvez Rascon declined to recommend an on-field review. Several Barcelona players surrounded the referee in protest, but the goal was allowed to stand.
Returning from a two-week injury lay-off, Raphinha voiced his frustration through social media after the final whistle. “We have a lot to improve, but not just us,” the Brazilian wrote on Instagram. “It is very complicated when the rules are different, whether they are in your favour or against you, but if we have to play against everyone to win, so be it. We will do it.”
The Girona setback leaves Barcelona two points behind table-topping Real Madrid after 24 rounds of the Liga season.
The controversy is not an isolated grievance. Just days earlier, Barcelona filed a formal five-point complaint with the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and the Technical Committee of Referees (CTA), alleging a lack of consistency in disciplinary decisions, contradictory handball rulings, significant accumulated refereeing errors, insufficient transparency in VAR use, and inconsistent criteria for on-field monitor reviews. The club’s anger had already been inflamed by a Pau Cubarsi goal ruled out during their 4-0 Copa del Rey semi-final first leg loss to Atletico Madrid.
Barcelona’s leadership has reportedly reached a boiling point over what it perceives as a lack of transparency from the CTA, with club official Rafa Yuste making direct contact with RFEF representatives to lodge a formal grievance.
Head coach Hansi Flick was measured but pointed. “The officials do their job,” he said after the match. “Sometimes it is not a good job, but they are on the same level as we played, so maybe it is not a good level.” Barcelona next host Levante and will be eager to respond on the pitch as their title defence hangs in the balance.
