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Happy referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz is NOT receiving a LaLiga match this weekend, after displaying FIFTEEN yellow cards and TWO reds in Barcelona’s 1-1 derby with Espanyol on New Year’s Eve.
- Antonio Mateu Lahoz refereed the Barcelona derby against Espanyol
- He handed out 15 yellow cards and two red ones in the Camp Nou match
- Lahoz also sent off Sevilla manager Jorge Sampaoli in a cup match on Wednesday.
- LaLiga has reacted by not giving him a LaLiga match to referee this weekend
Antonio Mateu Lahoz has not had a LaLiga game to officiate this weekend after his controversial Barcelona derby performance with Espanyol on New Year’s Eve which saw him dish out 15 yellow cards and two red cards.
After Lahoz awarded Espanyol a penalty with just under 20 minutes remaining in the game at the Camp Nou, the match turned into chaos, with Lahoz showing five yellow cards and two red cards in just six minutes.
Barcelona’s Jordi Alba and Espanyol’s Vinicius Souza received their marching orders, and Lahoz continued to use his yellow card frequently in the closing stages, even admonishing Barcelona manager Xavi.
Antonio Mateu Lahoz showed 15 yellow cards in Barcelona’s tie with Espanyol
Lahoz also sent off two players, including Espanyol’s Vinicius Souza.
Xavi later accused Lahoz of ‘losing control’ of the game, and the Spanish referee took center stage again on Wednesday night when he sent off Sevilla manager Jorge Sampaoli in the first half of their winning match. team 5-0 against Linares in the World Cup. King.
LaLiga have now acted by deciding not to give Lahoz a match in the Spanish top flight over the weekend.
Lahoz’s return to domestic action has been dramatic, and he continues to make a splash at the World Cup when he officiated Argentina’s quarterfinal clash with the Netherlands.
Xavi was also reprimanded and accused Lahoz of ‘losing control’ of the match
In a moody contest, Lahoz handed out 15 yellow cards and sent off Denzel Dumfries after the final whistle.
The match had a series of high points, with players clashing after Leandro Paredes dribbled the ball off the Dutch bench, while Argentina was unhappy with the conduct of some of the Dutch players during the penalty shootout.
Argentina eventually came out on top, but both Lionel Messi and Emiliano Martínez were harsh critics of Mateu Lahoz’s performance.
Lahoz fought for control of Argentina’s World Cup clash with the Netherlands
Messi called on FIFA to take action and stated: “I think FIFA must take care of this, it cannot put a referee like that for a match of such magnitude, of such importance.” The referee cannot fail to be up to the task.’
Martínez was even more damning in his assessment of Mateu Lahoz, as he said in a post-match interview: ‘The referee gave everything for them. he gave her 10 minutes [added time] without reason.
‘I was taking free kicks outside the area for them, like two, three times. He just wanted them to score, that’s basically all. So hopefully we don’t have him as a referee anymore. He is useless.
Messi got his wish, as Lahoz was sent home from Qatar without refereeing another match.