Barcelona boss Xavi Hernández was furious and did not mince words with his comments on the performance of referee César Soto Grado and his team following the Blaugrana’s goalless draw away to Getafe on Sunday’s La Liga opener.
The referee allowed Getafe to play a very physical, borderline violent game designed to waste time and not allow any flow to the match. Soto Grado also sent off Xavi for dissent and denied Barça a late penalty due to a very controversial handball by Gavi in the buildup.
Xavi was very clear about his thoughts on the referee’s decisions, and was critical of La Liga for allowing a subpar standard of officiating in one of the top leagues in Europe.