Barcelona’s draw in their visit to Rayo Vallecano left Xavi Hernandez’s team with a bitter taste, but above all, with a sense of injustice. The Catalan team felt that there were two clear actions that could have changed the result, but were overlooked by the refereeing.
Both Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha were fouled in the penalty area, which could have given the visitors a chance to secure all three points. The Pole striker was brought down by a hold from Florian Lejeune, while the Brazilian received a challenge from Alfonso ‘Pacha’ Espino four minutes before the final whistle. Barcelona president Joan Laporta didn’t hold back on these controversial actions.
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Joan Laporta claims it was a penalty on Raphinha
“Regarding Raphinha, I think we all agree that it was a penalty as clear as day. And Lewandowski’s too. They were two very clear penalties. We are going to try to win, which is our goal; the rest is water under the bridge,” said Laporta, via ‘El Chiringuito de Jugones.’
In addition, the president of Barcelona made it clear that Xavi’s job is not in jeopardy: “We fully and absolutely support Xavi. He is our coach, and we are very proud to have him with us. We have complete confidence in him. Now he has Pedri and Frenkie. And when he hasn’t had them, he has done quite well given the circumstances. I spoke with him after Vallecas, and he is very motivated. We are aware of the situation, and Xavi is doing well.”
