Refereeing debate shouldn’t undermine result as Girona stun Barça, says Míchel | OneFootball

Míchel lamented the fact that refereeing controversy has undermined Girona’s 2-1 win against Barcelona as the blanquivermelles fought back from behind at the Estadi Montilivi.

The hosts came out on top after an end-to-end encounter that saw Pau Cubarsí put Barça ahead before a spirited comeback saw Thomas Lemar and Fran Beltrán salvage an impressive victory to move Girona five points clear of the drop zone.

But much has been made of whether Beltrán’s goal should have stood, after an apparent foul on Jules Koundé in the buildup was ignored by the on-field referee and VAR.

Speaking in his post-match press conference, Míchel suggested that “if the ref whistled for a foul, that would have been fine, but he didn’t whistle and so I don’t think VAR should have intervened.

“It seems to me that speaking about this after the spectacle we saw on the pitch is undermining the game. Today was one hell of a game of football,” said the 50-year old.

A crucial victory for Girona also had serious consequences for Barcelona, who failed to bounce back from a midweek Copa del Rey humbling against Atlético Madrid and have now conceded pole position in the LaLiga title fight to Real Madrid.

Picking up three points against the blaugrana is a huge achievement for Girona, Míchel admitted, expressing hopes that it can kickstart a positive run of form for the blanquivermelles.

“We need to keep winning to arrive at 42 points, more or less. There’s a lot left to do. That’s the reality of the situation.

“[Today we got] three points, but more than three points in the sense that it’s a special game against a team that normally always – or in 90% of games – wins.

“In the last three games, we picked up two points but the team deserved a lot more. The team is playing well, better than the opponent on many occasions,” he added.

“Today we got three points against a team that is doing a lot of things well and had many chances, and missed a penalty.

“You’ve got to have that sort of luck to beat Barça, otherwise it’s impossible.”

Impressively, neither Barça nor Real Madrid have managed to walk away with all three points from the Estadi Montilivi this season. Míchel puts that down to his players finding their level.

He said: “When the players play to their level, it’s difficult to win here. That’s the reality of it.

“We saw it against Madrid and also against Barça. For me, it’s very important because I’ve always said that these players are capable of it.

“We have to do it more often,” he continued, pausing to find the correct word in Catalan – a language he only began to learn after being appointed as Girona boss.

“Above all, we have to do it for the fans. I’m sure that today they’re going home very happy!”