The coach of Barcelona, Xavi Hernández,  has implored LaLiga referees to “allow us to compete” and suggested that the Catalan club is “bearing the brunt of the Negreira case” following Vitor Roque’s red card during Saturday’s 3-1 victory against Alavés.

Roque received his marching orders only 13 minutes after being substituted on, having accumulated two yellow cards, despite also scoring Barcelona’s third goal. 

The second caution, in particular, raised doubts.

Xavi voiced his discontent over several decisions that have gone against Barcelona this season and hinted at the repercussions of the investigation into their association with the former vice-president of Spain’s refereeing body, José María Enríquez Negreira.

The club had transactions with companies linked to Negreira amounting to over €7 million across 18 years, asserting that these involved purchasing technical reports on refereeing and not influencing match officials.

“This is clearly a refereeing error against us — an unjustifiable dismissal, to be frank,” Xavi stated during a press briefing. “”I just ask the referees to let us compete in LaLiga. 

“This is another case of a clear mistake against Barça. Everyone can see the reality.

“We are paying for the Negreira case, absolutely no doubt. But that’s it, I am not going to speak about referees anymore.”

 This is yet another instance of an evident mistake against Barcelona. The reality is plain for everyone to see.”

“We are now bearing the consequences of the Negreira case, without a shadow of a doubt. However, I won’t dwell on refereeing matters any further.”

Xavi’s remarks came shortly after he criticized Real Madrid TV for “influencing the competition every week” by broadcasting videos highlighting refereeing errors before and after matches this season.

Regarding his strained relationship with Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti, Xavi clarified, “This doesn’t concern Ancelotti. I hold him in high regard.”

The incident with Roque overshadowed what should have been a promising performance from the Brazilian, who netted his debut goal for Barcelona in their 1-0 midweek victory over Osasuna.

Roque, 18, entered the pitch in the 59th minute, scored Barça’s third goal in the 63rd, received a booking in the 67th, and was subsequently sent off in the 72nd for an alleged foul on Rafa Marín. VAR cannot intervene to reverse yellow card decisions.

Despite the setback, Barcelona secured a 3-1 win against Alavés, with goals from Robert Lewandowski and Ilkay Gündogan preceding Roque’s strike.

“It’s always uplifting to secure a victory,” Xavi remarked, reflecting on his team’s performance. “Following my decision to step down at the end of the season, we’ve secured back-to-back wins, which reflects the team’s response.”

Xavi also commended Andreas Christensen’s adaptability in transitioning from defense to the midfield and hailed 16-year-old Lamine Yamal’s remarkable display on the right wing, describing him as a “phenomenal talent” with a bright future.