Pique: Referees favor Real Madrid
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FC Barcelona defender Gerard Pique on Wednesday accused referees in Spain of aiding Real Madrid more than any other soccer side in the country.
Pique made his declarations in the newspaper'El Mundo Deportivo' three days after he was sent off for two yellow cards in his side's 3-1 win away to Getafe.
The defender's second booking was for a handball that allowed Barca's rivals to score a goal from the penalty spot. The defender was angry at the decision, but even more so because on the same day, Real Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso clearly handed in the penalty area in the Madrid derby against Atletico and his action went unpunished.
"At the end of the day it is a personal decision from the referee, everyone can blow what they feel like here depending on their criteria and I had the bad luck to have a referee who applied the criteria that he did with me," said Pique.
The defender admitted that in general terms his side and title rivals Real Madrid both usually got the benefit of decisions from referees.
"Within the Liga, Madrid and Barca are the teams that are most favored by refereeing mistakes, because there is a lot of pressure on the referees," he said, but added that there was a difference in the treatment Barcelona receive in respect to Real Madrid.
"Between Madrid and Barca there is a big difference in Madrid's favor. They always help them more. Everything that surrounds Madrid creates huge pressure and it is almost not worth saying something that everyone knows. We have to battle against this kind of adversity," he said.
Pique's red card last weekend means he will miss his side's home game against Villarreal on Saturday night, but also means that should he play in the following game against Almeria and receive another booking, he would be suspended for the 'Classico' against Real Madrid at the end of the month.
"If I play against Almeria, I will play my usual game. I am not a player who makes a lot of fouls," he assured.
