CONTROVERSY! The Barça protested a clear penalti to De Jong that the referee didn't signal

Frenkie Of Jong was not to the level expected during some stretches of the party against the Athletic of Bilbao, but in the second time put the batteries and knew to do what better knows: break lines and combine with his mates to the edge of the rival area, finding spaces. The controversy of the party arose when, to fault of half hour for the end, the Dutch suffered a clear penalti in the interior of the area of Unai Simón.

It ran to receive a balloon filtered to the area and was arrollado by Ander Layer, the one who abused of strength to demolish him without miramientos. It was not a conflict of shoulder against shoulder, but rather of shoulder against back. At all it could do the Dutch for continuing the played, and his protests did not serve so that the referee, Martínez Munuera, pitase the maximum penalty.

Neither from the VAR signalled the penalti, since in fact they took only some seconds in warning to the referee that the game continued. A despropósito, in definite, seeing the repetition in which it shows how Layer demolishes to Of Jong by the use of the gross strength, in an illegal load.

The action, although in another party could have remained in the limbo, went of vital importance in the Athletic-Barça of this Thursday. And it is that Iñaki Williams marked a goal to the group culé in the injury time, leaving to the ones of Quique Setién without capacity of reaction. Unfair elimination in chambers of Glass of Rey, since the Barça had of occasions very clear of goal in the second tiemp and besides deserved a penalti no pitado.

The FC Barcelona needs that it go back the optimism

It does not be necessary to complain of the referee, but the reality is that said decision had a big incidence in the party and has avoided that the Barça can be in the semifinals of the competition. Step backwards of the culés, that lost in the final of the past campaign in front of Valencia and, this course, go down a new stair. Although it is true that won the five previous editions, there is not excuse that cost to day of today.

The team, with three parties less in the calendar, will be able to rest better and centre only in LaLiga and the Champions League, the two competitions in which from now will be necessary to leave the skin. It touches to work hard in Can Barça to change the feelings and do that the optimism go back to reign. The team needs oxygen and good vibrations like water of May.