Xavi Hernandez Reacts To Referee Disasterclass In FC Barcelona-Espanyol Derby

FC Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez has reacted to referee Mateu Lahoz’s performance in the Catalan derby where a 1-1 draw saw the Blaugrana surrender their points lead in La Liga.

Xavi refused to point the finger at Lahoz, who sent players off and gave out several yellow cards, for the stalemate.

“We slowed down and the draw is our fault. We can talk about the referee and a thousand things, but it’s our fault,” he insisted.

“When you forgive [them in] so many chances and you are not effective, these things can happen. They are our mistakes.”

“Mateu controls and dominates the matches and today he has lost it,” Xavi went on. “Today he handed out cards and I told him at the end. He must be the judge and for me the game got out of control, yes.”

“I can’t control the referee. What he has seen, what he has felt, what the players have told him. What am I going to say?”

Xavi said that his team created chances but reduced the pace of the game, the speed of the ball in how it was circulated, and their intensity.

“My feeling is that we should have won. The penalty was unfortunate and Espanyol defended and barely arrived [in our area]. But it is what it is. We said that we should give the game rhythm but it happens and it is our fault.”

Xavi blamed the drop off in intensity on how “very direct” Espanyol play.

“But in sport, sometimes you are more inspired, other times less… We had a brilliant [opening] half hour but then we couldn’t close the game. There are three very important points,” he pointed out.

Without Jordi Alba who was red-carded, Barca now travel to the Spanish capital to take on Atletico Madrid next Sunday where a draw or defeat could see both teams’ bitter rivals and defending champions Real Madrid retake the lead in La Liga.

As things stand, Barca are still in first place on goal difference and today was the first time they have allowed an opponent to score against them in the league at home this season.