Source: REUTERS/Juan Medina
[Saba Sports News] In Barcelona’s 1-1 draw with Real Betis at home, Raphinha lost control of his emotions, clashed with the assistant referee, and even brushed off Ter Stegen, who came to mediate. Near the end of the match, Barcelona still had a corner kick to take, but referee Gil Manzano blew the whistle to end the game 5 seconds early. The frustration of the Barcelona players immediately turned into a conflict on the field, with Raphinha being one of the most frustrated to the referee’s decision. After the final whistle, Raphinha confronted the assistant referee face to face: “You have no right to shut me up!” Raphinha shouted emotionally, “You are too rude!” Obviously, he was strongly dissatisfied with the way the referee team treated Barcelona. Seeing the situation might escalate, captain Ter Stegen quickly intervened to control the situation. However, Raphinha, who lost control due to the referee’s decision, brushed off the German goalkeeper and walked straight to the locker room with a gloomy face, still muttering. However, the video clearly shows that there was no substantial conflict between Raphinha and Ter Stegen; their dissatisfaction was mainly directed at the referee’s decisions in this match.