Manuel Pellegrini blasts officiating after Betis home defeat to Barcelona

Real Betis head coach Manuel Pellegrini has launched a scathing attack on the officiating crew following Saturday's La Liga match against Barcelona. While the hosts suffered their first home defeat of the season (2-5) at the Estadio La Cartuja, the Chilean manager insists the final result was the consequence of major officiating errors rather than the opponent's superiority.

In a post-match interview, Pellegrini labeled the refereeing as disgraceful. He highlighted a series of controversial decisions, including the disallowed goal by Giovani Lo Celso and the red card issued to Facundo Bernal, as the factors that derailed his team's performance. The manager also disputed Barcelona's third goal, claiming a high-foot foul by Fermin Lopez was ignored.

The scoreline does not reflect the game at all. We saw a series of incomprehensible and unjustified decisions. We were left with ten men, a clean goal was disallowed... It was a total absurdity. Manuel Pellegrini

Despite the defeat, Real Betis remains in third place in the La Liga table with 19 points from nine matches. Pellegrini's side is now shifting focus to European competition, as they prepare to host Dutch side Feyenoord on Wednesday, looking to secure a third consecutive victory in the Champions League.