Valverde slams ‘invisible’ penalty

Ernesto Valverde blasted Las Palmas’ ‘invisible’ penalty after Barcelona’s 1-1 draw on Thursday but assured “we’re still top and we want to stay there.”

Lucas Digne handballed on the line to let Las Palmas equalise from the spot, but it appeared accidental on the Frenchman’s part, while goalkeeper Leandro Chichizola should have been sent off for handling a clearance outside his box.

“We didn’t want the draw,” the Coach said after the game, which left Barca only five points clear of second-placed Atletico Madrid.

“We could’ve taken more of an advantage in the first half, but they drew level with a penalty and defended very well in the latter stages, which made it impossible for us.

“Penalty? We don’t know what the referee signalled for. No-one knows in the dressing room.

“We didn’t understand it at the time it happened, it was inexplicable. Hopefully seeing it on TV will clarify his decision a bit, but it was an invisible penalty.

“Chichizola’s hand? For me it was very clear, although I imagine [Las Palmas boss Paco] Jemez wouldn’t have thought so.

“Atletico? The game against them is only around the corner, and it’ll be important for both teams.

“We leave here with a bad taste in our mouths, given we could’ve done so with a victory, but we’re still top and we want to stay there.

“There were moments when we rushed and lacked the necessary calmness. We lacked clarity in the last pass and we could’ve scored another if we did that better.”

Tags Ernesto Valverde
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