Barcelona’s Winning Streak Comes to an End: Frenkie de Jong Criticizes Referee’s Attitude
Barcelona’s 11-game winning run in all competitions was brought to an end by Real Sociedad on Sunday, with the Catalan side losing 2-1 at Anoeta. The defeat saw Barcelona’s lead at the top of the LaLiga table reduced to just one point, with Real Madrid closing in. The match was marked by controversy, with Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong criticizing the referee’s attitude and decision-making.
De Jong, who was captain for the match, was particularly upset with the referee’s decision to rule out a Lamine Yamal strike for offside in the first half. However, it was the referee’s behavior that drew the most criticism from the Dutch midfielder. “If it’s given offside, it’s offside,” De Jong told reporters after the game. “I have not seen it, but they have told us it’s not offside. But what I want to say is that you can’t even speak to the referee. I don’t understand it at all. And I am the captain.”
De Jong also questioned the amount of added time played by the referee, who blew for full time as soon as the nine additional minutes had been played. “In added time, I was saying to the referee to watch the time, [Sociedad] were taking one minute for throw-ins, goal kicks etc, which is normal, of course, but to not add even 10 seconds more seems crazy to me,” the Dutchman added. Barcelona coach Hansi Flick backed De Jong’s comments, stating that the referee’s performance was not up to par.
Real Sociedad’s Victory
Mikel Oyarzabal and Gonçalo Guedes scored for Real Sociedad, with Marcus Rashford netting a consolation goal for Barcelona. The win marked a significant upset for Real Sociedad, who have been unbeaten in four games under new American coach Pellegrino Matarazzo. “What a game. What a game,” Matarazzo said after the game. “Of course, if you want to win against Barcelona, you need to be very active, very intense, connected for 90 minutes and we had a bit of luck on our side today and a fantastic goalkeeper with Alex Ramiro.”
Barcelona’s defeat was marked by a series of missed chances, with the team hitting the woodwork four times and having three goals ruled out for offside or fouls. Despite the loss, coach Hansi Flick remained positive, stating that the team’s performance was good and that they would focus on the next game. “I am not happy, I am disappointed because we lost the game, but the way we played football, this is how we want to play,” Flick said.
Looking Ahead
Barcelona will look to bounce back from the defeat when they face Slavia Prague in the Champions League on Wednesday. The team will need to improve their defense, particularly in the aftermath of scoring goals, as they conceded immediately after leveling the score against Real Sociedad. “We have to defend it better,” Flick said. “Directly after the 1-1, so we were in a good mood, we played well, and of course this goal kills us.”
With the LaLiga title race heating up, Barcelona will need to regroup and refocus to maintain their lead at the top of the table. The team’s performance against Real Sociedad was marked by controversy and missed chances, but they will look to put the defeat behind them and push forward in their pursuit of the championship.
