Barcelona star Raphinha has claimed that his side are not competing under even conditions after their controversial defeat to Girona on Monday night. The 2-1 loss at Montilivi saw Real Madrid finish the matchday top of La Liga, but the late winner came after what many felt was a foul on Jules Kounde.
After the match, manager Hansi Flick did his best to avoid the topic, noting that his side had played badly, and that was the decisive factor in their loss. Joan Garcia was their best player on the night, which spoke volumes of a slack performance in which Girona attacked almost at will.
🚨 The defence is a big headache for Hansi Flick. He has used 16 different defences in 38 games so far this season. [@gbsans]
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) February 17, 2026
The following day, Raphinha posted on social media, claiming that his side would run out victorious – even if they are not competing under equal conditions.
“Well, we have a lot to improve on, but not just us. It’s very complicated when the rules are different whether it’s for you or against you, but if we have to play against everyone, to win, it’s okay… We’re going to make it.
Long live Barca always.”
It is impossible to know how Barcelona will proceed after the controversy. Much of the messaging from Flick and other players avoided criticising the referee due to their performance, having done so following their defeat to Atletico Madrid on Sunday. Barcelona filed a complaint over the refereeing on Saturday over what they deem inconsistencies in the application of VAR and refereeing criteria.
The Catalan side were unfuriated by the eight-minute delay that it took for VAR to rule out Pau Cubarsi’s goal in the Copa del Rey semi-final, even if it appeared to come to the right decision eventually. It did halt the momentum of the game, and Barcelona struggled to get it back in the final half hour.
