FIFA has officially announced the dismissal of the officials and referees from the recent Barcelona vs Girona match. This decision comes after Referee Gil Manzano disallows Barça’s Goal due to a possible foul!
Barcelona got back on track this past Saturday, securing an exciting 2-1 triumph against Girona at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys. The standout performer for the Catalan club was Ronald Araujo, who entered the match from the bench and delivered the crucial winning goal during the final moments of the game.
According to reporting from Diario AS, Barcelona’s manager Hansi Flick addressed his tactical choice to deploy Araujo in an unconventional forward position. This decision became necessary due to the unavailability of key attacking players Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres, both sidelined with injuries.
In his explanation, Flick revealed the consultation process with Araujo before bringing him into the match: “I asked him before he came on, do you think you can play in this position? He said yes. I’m very happy with his goal, he always plays with his heart.”
In a move that caught observers by surprise, Flick opted to substitute out both Lamine Yamal and Pedri during the midway point of the match when the scoreline remained deadlocked at 1-1. Rather than making a purely tactical shift for the immediate situation, the Barcelona manager explained that his thinking extended toward the broader welfare and management of his squad.
“Lamine and Pedri’s situations were clear. We have to take care of the players. Toni played the first 45 minutes and he’s good for us. We have made the right strategy for this match. Fermín could only play 45 minutes. If you are convinced of what you have to do, you have to do it.”
During the second half of the contest, Flick received a red card after accumulating two yellow cards from referee Jesus Gil Manzano. Following the final whistle, the Barcelona manager commented on the dismissal and the controversial refereeing decisions that transpired throughout the encounter, including a potential penalty that was not awarded to Barcelona and a goal by Pau Cubarsi that was ruled out.
“I didn’t do anything against anyone. I applauded de Jong on the first card, and on the second, I don’t know why he gave it to me. I would never do anything against anyone. I didn’t say anything against the referee. I applauded to cheer on my team. Now I don’t think about missing El Clásico. The referee didn’t want to talk to me, he left and I accept it. He’s the referee.
“The referee makes his decisions and we have the VAR. The referee makes his decisions on the pitch. If he doesn’t want to talk to me, it’s his decision.”
