Real Madrid TV Again Attacks ‘Under Suspicion’ FC Barcelona Coach Xavi
Real Madrid TV again attacked FC Barcelona head coach Xavi Hernandez after he criticized perceived pressure that the channel puts on referees before the weekend.
Xavi said that he didn’t like the practice, and that he agreed “100 per cent with the President’s words”.
In January, Barca president Joan Laporta told Mundo Deportivo that competitions in Spain such as La Liga are “adulterated”.
“It’s a reality and we can’t fool the Barca fans,” Xavi stated.
“‘I’m not the president of the federation or the president of La Liga. [But] I am very surprised that we accept all this. They completely adulterate the competition, week after week.
“A blind man can see it. [Atletico Marid manager Diego] ‘Cholo’ Simeone said that we are not fools. Of course we see it, everyone sees it. But it’s up to the media to say it,” Xavi vented.
After analyzing Sunday’s 1-1 draw in the Madrid derby and the performance of referee Jose Maria Sanchez Martinez, Real Madrid TV turned to Xavi.
The Barca coach asked for the officials to “let us compete” following a red card received by Vitor Roque in a 3-1 win over Alaves, and said that the club was being punished for the Caso Negreira furore.
The case involves the Catalans paying the former Vice President of the Referees Committee over $7.5 million from 2001 to 2018, but Barca denies wrongdoing and insists the payments were made for honest consultation work.
“Let us compete? It should be remembered that Xavi has his career as a player under suspicion, because his matches are being investigated by the Prosecutor’s Office and a judge. Fair lessons, that his whole career is under suspicion,” Real Madrid TV fired back.
“Adulterated? You have to laugh. Fortunately, there is Real Madrid TV to prove things with evidence. If we manipulate, let someone go to court and denounce it.
“Here we do an exercise in transparency of what is happening. We are tired of witnessing how the images in which Real Madrid were disadvantaged disappear from the story, they did not appear on national television.
“It’s striking how they always seek to hurt Madrid: on Saturday we saw some legalities against Girona in which certain platforms shout against Madrid, but when they throw accusations against Barcelona, they are not published”.
“Real Madrid TV is under a lot of pressure. Three penalties and none of them were given. Xavi and Laporta will be happy tonight. Against everything and everyone,” the channel concluded.
