Barça’s triumph at San Mamés was undoubtedly marked by the disallowed goal against Iñaki Williams in the final stretch due to some hands from Muniain that Gil Manzano did not see until they called him from VAR. An action that did not sit well with Athletic and, especially, with the rojiblanco coach.
Ernesto Valverde was visibly upset after the game, although his speech was as impeccable as usual, without the slightest outburst. “The VAR is there to correct flagrant and gross errors. I’ve seen the image out of the corner of my eye and I don’t know how to tell, really, but these things like it rubbing against your hand or something that has happened five passes before the goal doesn’t belong in football” , he wielded.
Already at a press conference, Valverde was questioned about his time on the Barça bench, which coincided with the last year that Enríquez Negreira received payments from Barça. “In 2018 we won the League with a difference of 14 points and we won the Cup final 5-0, I don’t think there was much discussion about who was the best,” he concluded.
The La Rioja preparer continued with his elocution, angry with what happened. “What happened is a bit absurd, no one on the pitch has seen it but we’re screwed because we lost. He touched us,” he lamented.
Valverde also valued the situation of his team, which is not going through the best streak of results in the world. “We are in a bad moment, I think that due to some circumstances or others we are not taking the games because we lack forcefulness in both areas,” he explained.
