Stats: Barcelona’s troubling record under controversial referee who will officiate the Rayo Vallecano game | OneFootball

Cesar Soto Grado has been chosen as the referee for Barcelona’s upcoming La Liga match against Rayo Vallecano.

At first glance, this might not seem like a big deal, but for Barcelona fans, this decision brings up some concerns and of course, old memories. That is because Soto Grado has a history with Barcelona that is far from straightforward.

In total, Soto Grado officiated three matches involving Barcelona last season, resulting in two draws and one loss for the Catalans.

Interestingly, throughout his career, he has refereed Barcelona in ten matches, with the club managing just three wins, two draws, and five losses. These statistics make him the referee with the worst winning percentage for Barcelona in recent history.

Soto Grado’s El Clasico fiasco

The last time Soto Grado officiated a match involving Barcelona was during the El Clasico against Real Madrid on April 21 at the Santiago Bernabeu. In that match, Real Madrid won 3-2, but the game was not without controversy.

A significant point of contention was Lamine Yamal’s disallowed goal. Many believe that the ball had crossed the goal line entirely, but the video assistant referee (VAR) could not conclusively determine that it had.

Barcelona have suffered a lot when Cesar Soto Grado has officiated their matches.

As a result, Soto Grado decided not to award the goal. Television replays appeared to show the ball had gone in, but that evidence wasn’t enough for the referee.

This decision sparked outrage among Barcelona supporters and even led the club’s president, Joan Laporta, to declare that they would pursue the matter to the fullest extent.

Other controversies involving Barcelona and Soto Grado

Soto Grado’s controversial decisions in Barcelona matches don’t end there. Last season, he was also in charge during Barcelona’s opening league game against Getafe, which ended in a 0-0 draw.

This match was notable for the red card shown to Barcelona’s then-manager, Xavi. Additionally, Soto Grado failed to award what many saw as a clear penalty against Juan Iglesias for a foul on Ronald Araujo.

Instead, he judged that Gavi had handled the ball earlier in the play, negating the penalty claim.

Another match under Soto Grado’s watch was Barcelona’s away game against Granada, which ended in a 2-2 draw. During this game, a goal by Joao Felix was disallowed for an offside call because Ferran Torres was deemed to be interfering with play.

This decision cost Barcelona a chance at victory and added to the growing frustration with Soto Grado’s officiating.