Xavi doesn't want the referee to be influenced.

Spain: Ahead of the Copa del Rey quarter-final against Bilbao, coach Xavi stated that he did not want to engage in a war of words with Real Madrid and put additional pressure on the referees and VAR.

"I believe in the integrity of the referees and I don't like the pressure they are under," Xavi said in the pre-match press conference. "Everything else is a question for the referees themselves. I prefer to talk about the technical aspects, how Barca built up play, how they exploited the space. If you ask about anything else, you already know my answer. Review the previous press conferences. From there, analyze for yourself what happened. Judge for yourself and I'm sure we will all come to the same conclusion."

Barcelona coach Xavi during the La Liga match against Betis at the Benito Villamarin stadium in Seville on January 21, 2024. Photo: AP

Controversy over refereeing erupted after Real Madrid's 3-2 comeback victory against Almeria at the Bernabeu in La Liga's 21st round. Almeria led 2-0 in the first half, but suffered three controversial refereeing decisions in the second half and ultimately lost.

Subsequently, Real Madrid TV , the official channel of the royal club, announced that it would review and investigate all 600 matches that Xavi played for Barca during his playing career. The channel also reiterated the allegations that the Catalan club bribed former vice president of the Council of Arbitrators (CTA), Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, with $7.3 million.

Xavi was not surprised by the strong reactions from Real and stood firm in his position. The Spanish coach also did not want to get involved in the media war with Real, but wanted to focus on Barca's upcoming matches. "I always respect Real," Xavi said. "I don't like these kinds of battles. The controversy doesn't concern me, it happened during Real's match against Almeria. I only gave my personal opinion. I answered when asked out of politeness."

When asked whether these controversies would affect Barca, the 43-year-old coach replied: "If they do, it must be a positive effect. If I've said it, we have to work very hard to win La Liga. So let's use all that anger and resentment to compete better and win."

Meanwhile, president Joan Laporta added fuel to the fire with harsh remarks at a party hosted by Mundo Deportivo on January 22nd. "What happened at the Bernabeu was a disgrace," the Barca president said. "Referees have to cope with the pressure they've been under throughout the season. Otherwise, we'll feel they're neglecting their duties."

Hong Duy

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