Undoubtedly, Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona are the best footballing side in the world at the moment. They’ve brushed aside so many teams across so many competitions, whether it be in their own domestic La Liga, in Europe in the Champions League, and further overseas in the Club World Championship with wins over sides from Argentina and Brazil. But, there is a lingering sour taste in the mouth from several sides which offers up the question, do Barcelona receive preferential treatment from officials and governing bodies?
On the face of it, people will argue that this is clearly not true, and merely point to the Catalans success as example of their supreme footballing ability ahead of anything or else. Or, if that doesn’t cover it, perhaps good fortune or a slice of luck here and there. Yet, there are incredible stats and matches which heavily suggest otherwise. Now, nobody is actually suggesting that there is a genuine ‘conspiracy’ but it does appear that they do get more than a helping hand.
Starting with that fateful night in West London, May 2009, where Chelsea were denied 4 clear cut penalties and suffered a gut wrenching defeat on away goals, it was almost too bizarre to be true. How could the referee, Tom Henning Ovrebo, not even award on spot kick to the hosts? The picture above shows a shirt pull from Abidal, as clear as can be. There was an ever worse decision later, Pique providing a blatant handball in the area. Nobody, not even the most ardent Barcelona supporter, that the referee didn’t see these as penalties.
Therefore, he had entered the game with a crystal clear vision that he would not award a penalty against the Spanish visitors. 3 years on, we see Barcelona oust AC Milan in the Camp Nou, this time due to them getting a dubious penalty for a fairly innocuous shirt pull from Nesta. Firstly, for the referee to give this he should automatically be giving a penalty every single time a corner or free kick comes into the box, and also this penalty was awarded before the ball was even in play -against the rules of football. It simply appears too good to be true. Luck, or something more sinister? You can make your own minds up, but the stats certainly point one way.
However, there is something all together more alarming about the potential help that Barcelona are receiving from UEFA. Over the last 3 season, Barcelona have played 9 knockout ties in the Champions League. It is often noted how it is a benefit having the first leg away from home, as you can then fall back onto home comforts and home supports – and with Barcelona currently 53 games unbeaten everybody knows their strengths in front of their own fans. In these 9 ties, Barcelona have played 8 first legs away from home. The only one they didn’t? The un-deserved triumph over Chelsea. Surely, this is too much of a co-incidence. To be repeatedly drawn favourably may of course just simply be luck, but over 3 years and 9 ties, it’s almost too much to take.
While no slight against officials and governing bodies favouring the current European Champions will ever be proved, all football fans can make their own mind up. However, I will leave you with the words of Jose Mourinho, talking about the upcoming Chelsea vs Barcelona semi final – ‘Chelsea won’t be allowed to reach the final, and you know why’.
Got an opinion? Think I’m completely wrong? Get in touch on Twitter, by searching by under Harry Aitkenhead or @aitkenheadhj
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Another boring, baseless article from another British journalist want to be…. Dead Duck in the water, just except that Barcelona are one of the best club side in football history and enjoy while it last. Like Guardiola said “The players do their talking on the pitch”, enuff said.
Before I even read your trash, I knew you would display a sickening selective memory in your ‘analysis’. You conveniently ‘forgot’ to show a picture of Anelka diving to get Abidal sent off before your ‘penalty’ claims started. Difficult to see how a conspiracy would work with a player less. If anything, that ref did more injustice to Barca than chelsea. Was it part of the conspiracy that Chelsea were pegged in their own half by ten men until the equaliser? Stupid wannabe sour loser british journalist!! And by the way, talking about AC Milan, were the two blatant penalties denied Barca at San siro part of the ‘grand plan’? I thought you British writers called that resolute defending, and in your ever-defeated eyes, you saw a perfect referee! If he doesnt give Barca the decisions, he is perfect, if he does, UEFA has a hand. If he gives chelsea a penalty and sends off a man against Benfica, perfect! You have no shame!!
My point is not that the referee, Overbo, went into the game to in-convenience either side. From the penalty calls, he clearly went into the game with the idea that he would not be giving a penalty no matter what happened in the box – as he didn’t want to have a deciding effect on the game because of fear. The 100% wrong attitude to approach a game.
By the way, the conspiracy theories started when mourinho (the god of english football) started receiving his regular dose of beatings from Guardiola. One win in fourteen games!! Too much for you and ‘your special one’ to stomach! Guardiola is the boss of football, the man who runs it, the man who feeds the world with eye-candy football every three days! Up Barca!!!!!!
Yes baca best in de world but get huge favours frm uefa. Pls uefa shld allw football be played natural by playg baca homw match b/4 away match in uafa champions league.
Precedent already exists, English myopia on footy has long been well documented…More for the bin
Must be a third grade kid who’s a sore loser who wrote this article. Ask any Barca fan and they’ll tell you of all the injustices against them. Having to travel by road to face Inter, an offside goal by Inter allowed to stand, the two clear penalty claims at the San Siro, the list goes on. The fact that Barca plays games away in the first leg is due to the fact they top their group table and are placed as a seeded team; you don’t even understand how football works and you write this nonsense article. Hope all the comments by everyone will open your eyes – they pity your lack of knowledge of football.
I would argue but you’re so wrong it’s not worth it ; Barcelona only earn a home tie in the last 16 round for topping their group the rest is done through draw yet they always seem to earn a home tie.
“In the draw for the round of 16, the eight group winners were seeded, and the eight group runners-up were unseeded. The seeded teams were drawn against the unseeded teams, with the seeded team hosting the second leg.”
Due to winning their group, Barcelona are therefore naturally going to play the first leg away from home more often…
Another myopic piece of shit from a demented british journalist who can’t take the facts. I guess u shuld be writing about the clear favoritism man united is getting in epl.against fulham they got away with murder n against QPR they got away with genocide, no british journalist is peddlin conspirancy theories against them. I now wat u hv in common with mourinho; both of are sour losers fulstop.
I even wander why u have been employed to exploit ur readers.thank God we aint as blunt as u are. For christ sake barca have also recieved a lot of injustice from referees. Two clear pens at san siro and u shut ur stinking mouth. U only have the strength to write chaff when the beautiful game succeed. Id like to ask you did chelsea really deserve the pen. against benfica? Were ac deserving point sharers in sansiro? Open ur eyes cry baby and move on u are too fixated.
Oh grow up
Last champions league final between Barca and Man U was at Wembly almost the home of Man U. They lost 3-1. Rooney scored a goal which appeared to be offside to make it 1-1 at the time. What did SAF and his players say after the match. They accepted that a far better team than them won and that they would improve on their weak points.
I thought what was said in the article was valid to be honest. It is not in-conceivable that there is a conspiracy going on, but we will never know and have to accept it. I personally can’t stand the Barca team as they are a squad full of arrogant, pretentious pre madonas. These characteristics have clearly seeped into the mindset of their fans, who have commented on this article.
What a retarded biased article clearly written by a retard with a retarded chip on his shoulder… Do you forget the decisions that went against Barca V Chelsea… yes Barca got away with it in that game but the ref made bad decisions for both teams too.. Abidal incorrectly sent off and what about Ballacks elbow in the Camp Nou or the pen Henry shouldve had and what about Militos offside goal and the pen Alves shouldve gotten or Bojans incorrectly disallowed goal in 09 or what about the TWO stonewall pens not given in the San Siro v Milan or the blatant fouls Ambrosini got away with over the two ties… my god you retards just CHOOSE to focus on the decisions that suit your agenda but Barca have had shit go for AND AGAINST them and I wouldnt complain like a bitch because THATS FOOTBALL…. All season in Spain Real have had the majority of the decisions and Barca have been hard done by but thats just football… and youre now making up crap about us getting favoured in the ties … well what about the ties.. check out the CL draw we’ve had this season… really hard teams whilst the likes of Milan and others get it easy.. No complaints here because … THATS FOOTBALL DICKHEAD… you conspiracy theorists are morons who just love to make shit up to suit your agenda and are only too determind to believe it no matter what and thats why you deliberately ignore the decisions that go against Barca… disgraceful… in the Milan v Barca game both sides got lucky but moreso Milan and in the Chelsea v Barca game both sides got lucky but moreso Barca… didnt Chelsea get lucky v Wigan , dont utd get alot of decisions and Real and every team you bell end… HA