Controversial referee Mateu Lahoz has yet again hit the headlines for the wrong reasons following another card-happy display in LaLiga.
The 45-year-old official, who was criticised by Lionel Messi during the World Cup, took charge of Barcelona’s 1-1 draw against rivals Espanyol at the Nou Camp in his first match since returning from Qatar.
Referee Lahoz handed out 15 cards during Barcelona’s draw with Espanyol
Jordi Alba was sent off in the second half, along with Espanyol’s Vinicius Souza
He was subject to intense criticism in Qatar, with Barca‘s Dutch duo Frenkie de Jong and Memphis Depay lambasting Lahoz after Netherlands were knocked out by Argentina in the quarter-finals.
Even Argentina pair Messi and Emiliano Martinez hit out at Lahoz where he was branded as ‘useless’ and not ‘up to the task’.
It proved to be the final game he oversaw in the Gulf state after he handed out a whopping 19 cards – a record for a World Cup match.
And incredibly, he almost matched that feat in his first LaLiga game after the global tournament where he dished out 15 cards in the Catalan derby – resulting in two sending offs.
Two of the yellow cards he handed out went to Raphinha and Arnau Tenas, who were both off the pitch on the sidelines at the time.
Lahoz also showed a straight red card to Espanyol skipper Leandro Cabrera, but following VAR intervention, the decision was overturned.
Souza was handed two yellow cards by Lahoz in a fiery Catalan derby
Barca boss Xavi was left fuming by Lahoz during the clash at the Nou Camp
He also awarded a controversial penalty for the visitors, which Joselu converted to cancel out Marcos Alonso’s seventh minute opener.
After Joselu’s 73rd minute equaliser, Jorda Alba was given his marching orders five minute later with his second yellow of the match.
The Spanish left-back was booked twice within two minutes, where he was sent off for arguing with Lahoz over a free-kick.
Vinicius Souza was then shown his second yellow in the 80th minute for a foul on Sergi Roberto, with Lahoz then issuing a straight red for Cabrera seconds later for an apparent stamp on Robert Lewandowski.
Card-crazy Lahoz has once again found himself at the centre of controversy
But his red card was eventually downgraded to a yellow after Lahoz was advised to check the incident on the pitchside monitor.
A staggering ten minutes of injury-time was awarded, giving Lahoz plenty of time to hand out a further three yellow cards.
Unsurprisingly, it is the most amount of cards that Lahoz has ever dished out during his LaLiga career.
The fiery draw leaves Barca in top spot above Real Madrid on goal difference, while Espanyol remain a point above the relegation zone.
Source: talksport
