On Wednesday night, Spanish football could learn how detailed referees have to consider national differences in non-verbal communication. Robert Lewandowski, a FC Barcelona player for a few months, was sent off after just 30 minutes in his new club’s league game at CA Osasuna – and then caused an additional stir. As the goalscorer left the pitch, he repeatedly pointed to his nose and pointed to referee Jesús Gil Manzano, which left one or two Spanish fans perplexed: was the Pole trying to suggest that Gil Manzano had powdered his nose? With a powder that you can’t buy in a conventional drugstore?
Former referee Eduardo Iturralde González calmed the excitement on the radio: He had learned that Lewandowski’s gesture was a sign used to brand snooty people in Central Europe. In the game report, Gil Manzano abstained from any interpretation of Lewandowski’s gesture that went beyond the obvious: the player had shown his incomprehension about the traffic light card, he noted. Yellow-red meant Lewandowski’s first dismissal since February 9, 2013 – in a Dortmund 1: 4 against Hamburger SV.
Taunting the referee usually results in a three-game ban in Spain. But there was another, much more immediate consequence of the scene. Lewandowski’s teammate Gerard Piqué took the opportunity to tell Gil Manzano what he’s always wanted to tell him. Piqué, 35, surprisingly announced his retirement from professional football last week. On Tuesday night he was a substitute – and on his way into the dressing room he whispered in the referee’s ear that the whole thing was a shame and that he, Gil Manzano, was by far the referee who hurt Barcelona the most. However, Piqué didn’t say it exactly like that, but with expressions from the vulgar drawer – and with a greeting to Gil Manzano’s mother. The result: Piqué saw red as a reservist.
In fact, Gil Manzano’s résumé contains so many incidents from Barcelona games that Piqué’s verbal failure was explained. In 33 games involving Barcelona, Gil Manzano has shown the Catalans ten red cards. The newspaper based in Catalonia Sport recognized it as a form of “incontinence”. The Extremadura referee’s ‘victims’ included Dani Alves, Neymar, Luis Suárez and even Lionel Messi. The Argentine, who has since moved to Paris Saint-Germain, was sent off once in 778 competitive games for Barça – in the 2021 Spanish Supercup. By Gil Manzano.
On Tuesday, one of the reasons for the Catalans’ anger was that Gil Manzano and the video referee had overlooked a foul by Unai García on Barça defender Marcos Alonso when David García gave Osasuna an early 1-0 lead (6th). Outnumbered after Lewandowski’s 2-minute suspension, however, Spanish international Pedri (48′) and Raphinha (85′) turned the game into a 2-1 win for Barcelona. And because champions Real Madrid had surprisingly lost in Vallecano the day before (2:3), FC Barcelona now knows that they will start the upcoming World Cup break as table leaders. With one game left (against Cádiz on Thursday), Barça have a five-point lead over the record champions.
