Manolo Fumes at Ref Decisions: 'You Have to Laugh About the Penalties'
Espanyol boss Manolo González was left seething after controversial penalty decisions in their derby defeat to Girona, questioning officiating standards in La Liga.
Espanyol manager Manolo González couldn’t hide his frustration after watching his side fall to a 2-0 derby defeat, with controversial penalty decisions taking center stage in a match that left the gaffer absolutely fuming at the officials.
‘You Have to Laugh’
González was in no mood for pleasantries post-match, sarcastically suggesting that questionable decisions against Espanyol have become par for the course in La Liga.
“You have to laugh,” the Espanyol boss remarked when questioned about the referee’s performance, clearly feeling his team had been done up like a kipper by the officials.
The manager’s frustrations centered around several key incidents:
- Two contentious penalty decisions awarded to Girona
- Just four minutes of added time despite numerous stoppages
- Girona’s goalkeeper allegedly provoking the home crowd without proper punishment
- A potential penalty for Espanyol not given for a challenge on Roberto
Penalty Controversy
The first penalty, which González admitted was correctly retaken under the laws of the game, stemmed from what he described as minimal contact. He questioned the consistency, noting that even some Girona representatives had privately admitted to him that “neither of them were penalties.”
The match ended in ugly scenes with bottles thrown onto the pitch, which González suggested could have been avoided with better game management from the officials. He pointed to Gazzaniga’s alleged provocation of the home crowd and the referee’s failure to control the situation.
Match Analysis
Looking beyond the controversy, González felt the scoreline flattered Girona:
“We created more chances than them. When you can’t convert, it’s complicated. They had one chance and the penalty in the first half. The match becomes uphill from there.”
He emphasized that the match was actually quite even, with few clear-cut opportunities in the first period. González believed his team improved after the break and created enough chances to equalize “without being the best Espanyol.”
Despite the disappointment, the manager called for calm: “We need to stay composed and not go crazy. We must see the positives, which do exist, and correct the negatives. We’ve had many uncharacteristic losses of possession in comfortable situations. We need to recover our sharpness in the final third and our finishing.”