BarcelonaAfter losing the 2019 Copa del Rey final against Barça, Real Madrid considered the possibility of consulting members if they wanted to leave the Endesa League. Florentino Pérez, the club’s president, never dared to put the idea into practice, but his message served to dispel the refereeing team and raise doubts about its bias. Two statements in which the ACB and the Association of Basketball Referees (AEBA) acknowledged mistakes lowered the tension, but did not end up calming the spirits. “In view of the statements and the lack of concrete answers to this incomprehensible decision of the referees, Real Madrid will continue to study measures and actions to be taken due to the enormous gravity of the facts,” he announced.
The white club did not fare well in Sunday’s defeat against Barça, the fifth in a row this season. Madrid’s official website described Vincent Poirier’s personal foul on Sertaç Sanli, eight tenths of a second later, as “doubtful”. “I was shown the game screen. I can’t say much. I miss Sanli. The referees have been decisive. The details of the matches are what make the difference. There are some that you can control and some that you can’t, “lamented Pablo Laso, a coach who for the first time in many years is experiencing a delicate moment on the Madrid bench.
Despite shooting 45 free throws, Real Madrid still think they lost at the Palau Blaugrana because of the referees. The protagonist of the play, Vincent Poirier, used a pair of emoticons to show his anger on social media, where he interacted with a user who criticized Barça and the referees. “I saw a team tonight and that’s enough for me. We fought and I’m proud of it,” he added. His teammate Edy Tavares also hinted that defeat was not his responsibility. “We controlled what was in our hands. Very proud of everything we did,” said a former Real Madrid player like Chapu Nocioni. “How can referees influence this way! It’s a hot, normal match fight in a classic. I’ve warmed up! “
Sunday’s classic opened a three-win gap between the two big title contenders and raised the doubts of a white team that has lost six of its last nine games in the Endesa League. The runner-up has Valencia Basket, Joventut de Badalona and Baxi Manresa one victory away. Madrid will know their rivals in the Euroleague quarter-finals on Wednesday. After closing out the regular season with an unexpected home defeat to Bayern Munich, the white team was left to play against Maccabi, a rising team, or Anadolu Efes, the reigning champions. The final stretch of the season will be marked by the decision of Pablo Laso to leave the team Thomas Heurtel and Trey Thompkins and fine Guerschon Yabusele.
Historical possibility
Baxi Manresa visits Unicaja at Martín Carpena this Tuesday (8.30 pm, Esport3 and DAZN). If he wins he will qualify for the final four of the BasketballChampions League. If he loses, he will have one last chance in the New Gorge. “It will be a different match than the one we experienced in the Congost. They will come out very aggressive. We are going with good feelings and a lot of desire to qualify for the final four. It’s an important match, but we’re going to compete, “said Yankuba Sima, who saw the Palau Blaugrana classic live on Sunday.
