Not a day goes by in La Liga or the Copa del Rey without social media erupting in anger over refereeing decisions. This time, Barcelona was at the center of controversy following their hard-fought victory against Albacete, securing their place in the Copa del Rey semi-finals.
Barcelona dominated the match until the final minutes, yet the game witnessed moments that sparked widespread fan outrage, particularly due to the unusual reaction of Andalusian referee José Luis Munuera Montero.
Related topics
The referee’s reaction that angered fans
In the 87th minute, with Barcelona leading 2-1, Albacete launched an attack that reached Fran Gámez, who shot past the goalkeeper. As the Carlos Belmonte Stadium appeared to celebrate a potential equalizer, Gerard Martín seemingly cleared the ball off the line. However, the referee’s reaction after the play sparked controversy: he visibly raised his arms, which fans interpreted as regret over missing the equalizer.
Video technology and broadcast controversies
The refereeing was not without controversial moments, most of which went against Barcelona. Some of the most notable examples include:
The disallowed goal by Ferran Torres for offside, despite the footage being unclear.
The lack of a television review for Albacete’s goal, which appeared to have been scored from an offside position.
Unequal scrutiny of tackles; all of Barcelona’s tackles were shown from multiple angles, while Albacete’s tackles were not treated the same way.
Lenient treatment of opposing players
Despite the outrage over the refereeing decisions, Munuera Montero showed leniency towards some opposing players, such as João Cancelo, who could have been sent off at a crucial moment but only received a warning.
This last incident further angered Barcelona fans, who felt the team had not received justice even after advancing to the semi-finals, claiming that this season’s Copa del Rey has been plagued by controversial decisions that could affect the course of the competition.
