Barcelona's Unbeaten Run Comes Crashing Down with Gil Manzano Centre Stage Again
Barça's historic winning streak ends at Anoeta with referee Gil Manzano once again proving to be their nemesis in a controversial LaLiga clash.
Barcelona’s players and staff left San Sebastián fuming, with referee Gil Manzano once again the pantomime villain in their eyes as their remarkable winning run finally hit the buffers.
The Gil Manzano Effect
There were murmurs of discontent in the Barça camp even before they travelled to Anoeta when Gil Manzano was appointed as the match official. The Extremadura-born referee has history with the Catalan giants – and it’s fair to say they’re not exactly best mates.
The numbers tell a stark story:
- Gil Manzano has refereed Barcelona 45 times since 2012
- Barça’s record under him: 28 wins, 8 draws, 9 losses
- He’s shown them 111 yellow cards, 4 double yellows and 7 straight reds
- No team has received more punishment from him than Barcelona
Recent History of Controversy
The bad blood between Barça and Gil Manzano has several chapters, with the most recent coming earlier this season when he sent off Hansi Flick during the Girona match in October. That red card meant Flick missed the crucial El Clásico at the Bernabéu.
After yesterday’s match, Flick and midfielder Frenkie de Jong both highlighted what they perceive as a “lack of communication” with the referee – the same complaint the German coach made after his October sending off.
The Laporta Factor
Barça president Joan Laporta has previously been scathing about Gil Manzano, stating: “This referee has sent off almost all of our star players… something always happens.”
Laporta’s grievance list includes:
- Leo Messi’s first-ever Barcelona red card in the 2020-21 Supercopa final
- Neymar’s sending off that ruled him out of El Clásico in 2016-17
- Luis Suárez’s red card that kept him out of a Copa del Rey final
- Lewandowski’s controversial dismissal at Osasuna last season that resulted in a three-match ban
The Streak Ends
Whether justified or not, Barcelona’s complaints about the referee will dominate the conversation around this defeat. What’s certain is that their historic winning streak has come to an end, and once again, Gil Manzano finds himself at the centre of Barça’s ire.
For the Catalans, it feels like they’ve had their chips again with this particular referee. The question now is how they’ll respond to this setback as they look to maintain their position at the top of LaLiga.