César Soto Grado has crossed paths with Barça three times this season and the Blaugrana team has left the field disappointed every time due to the referee’s decisions. The last time was this Sunday in the Santiago Bernabéu classic against Real Madrid, but before that the Catalan team already came out indignant with the referee against Getafe and Granada.
In the Madrid coliseum all the interpretable plays, which at least deserved the benefit of the doubt or in these times the consultation of the VAR monitor, fell on the white side. The first controversial play, with the Blaugrana ahead on the scoreboard, was Cubarsí’s penalty against Lucas Vázquez who did his best to contact the Girona defender’s leg.
After Vinícius’ goal from eleven meters and with the scoreboard momentarily tied, Soto Grado also did not go to the sideline to see the phantom goal not awarded to Lamine Yamal on the VAR screen. The referee spent four minutes awaiting the instructions given to him from the VOR room, headed by Sánchez Martínez, and finally did not validate the report, in principle because there was no conclusive image. “A shame,” Ter Stegen and Xavi would later say about the lack of a clear sequence in a match that brings together millions of dollars in money and audience.
There were other actions with less noise that could also change the character of the match. Camavinga knocked down Lamine Yamal when he was already facing Lunin, but Soto Grado showed him yellow when he understood that Valverde was coming to cover the Blaugrana. He also did not see a penalty for an obstruction by Rüdiger on Fermín López. In the end, their own failures condemned a Barça team at the Bernabéu that practically said goodbye to the League.
The Castilian-Leon native, from the Rioja school, made his debut this year refereeing Barça against Getafe on the first day. Xavi’s team had a gray game, with no goals on the scoreboard (0-0), but in injury time an opportunity arose that seemed unbeatable to take the three points.
Iglesias, from Getafe, kicked Blaugrana Araújo inside the area, an action that looked like a penalty. But Soto Grado went to the VAR monitor to end up deciding that in the immediately previous action Gavi, in a struggle with Iglesias himself, had touched the ball with his arm. The image, after many repetitions and angles, does not confirm that the youth player uses his hand or chest to propel the ball. In that match Raphinha also ended up being sent off, although his red card, after an attack on Gastón, does not allow for interpretation.
“The handball is invented. In the pre-season meeting with the referees they said that they would only call clear hands. I didn’t like the meeting the other day. They also said that they would use the VAR less. Why? If the VAR is a fantastic tool,” said Xavi Hernández at the Coliseum press conference after the duel against the Azulones.
Two months later, on the ninth matchday of the League, Barça and Soto Grado met again in the match that pitted the Blaugrana against Granada at the Nuevo Los Cármenes. Once again, Xavi’s team had a bad game, surprised by Bryan Zaragoza who scored a double before the first half hour of play.
But Barça managed to tie the match in the final minutes and came close to winning with a goal in injury time from João Félix after finishing off a cross from the right at the far post. To the surprise of the Barcelona fans, the goal was annulled due to a previous positional offside by Ferran Torres, who was ahead by a few centimeters.
Soto Grado, at the request of the VAR, understood that the Valencian had interfered in the play. Torres jumped at the near post with no chance of reaching a ball that went well over his head. “Who is Ferran interfering with? I understand that that’s why he cancels it, because there is no one else but Ferran doesn’t bother anyone,” Xavi Hernández complained after the controversial draw in Granada (2-2).
Soto Grado’s record against Barça in ten refereed matches is five defeats, two draws and three wins, the last in November 2021 against Villarreal. This season the summary is worse, with two draws and a defeat for the Blaugrana that have meant the loss of seven points.
On the other hand, the Castilian-Leon native has refereed Real Madrid 18 times with 12 white wins, four draws and two losses. This season the balance with the Madridistas is three wins and one draw. Nor have Soto Grado’s matches been free of controversy when he has refereed Ancelotti’s matches.
In Las Palmas they remember with bitterness how a slap from Rodrygo in the face of goalkeeper Valles was sanctioned with a yellow card. “It’s very clear red,” Soto Grado told Nacho at half-time, in the locker room tunnel, about the actions of the goalkeeper and the Brazilian. The CTA later denied that the referee pronounced those words and DAZN, responsible for the leaked audio, later corrected it, ensuring that he had transcribed the conversation incorrectly. The match ended with a victory for Real Madrid thanks to a goal from Tchouaméni in the 84th minute (1-2).
In Madrid’s draw against Betis (1-1) at the Benito Villamarín this season, Soto Grado decided not to give a penalty for a kick by Lucas Vázquez on Abde, while the whites complained about a maximum penalty not called in an action where Ruibal seems to touch the ball at the same time that it contacts Rodrygo’s leg. The referee also whistled this season for Madrid against Real Sociedad at the Bernabéu (2-1), but there were no significant controversial plays.
