Guardiola's comments on the competition committee and the referees

[My quick translation of this el país article] (http://deportes.elpais.com/deportes/2012/03/24/actualidad/1332622200_599001.html)

The referees don't demand respect

Pep Guardiola must have expected that, with or without a controversial call –there was one with Thiago’s sending off –someone would ask his opinion about the referee. The question was related to the Competition Committee’s resolution, which applied minimum bans on the madridistas for their expulsions at el Madrigal. The Barça coach didn’t enter into if he thought the resolution was good or bad –“they have their reasons”, he said –he just said: “I think that for a long time now the referees have not demanded respect. From day one too many things have happened and they have let them happen, they haven’t drawn a clear line, and now we are in this maelstrom, in which every decision is suspicious.” And he continued, “What Piqué did: say that an expulsion was premeditated probably deserved a suspension, but it didn’t happen because somebody who says that the referee committed a robbery would also have deserved one”

It wasn’t his only mention of the referees. Guardiola rose to the bait when asked about his team receiving 4 expulsions in the last 8 games. “I wonder why as well, because, normally, we have around 75% possession. That means that we have the ball for many minutes. So it’s hard to believe that we have so many expulsions. But there must be some reason. So we accept it, the player goes to the changing room and we keep on playing”, he noted in a veiled reference to the attitude of Madrid in the match against Villarreal.

Guardiola did not comment on the red card given to Thiago, but Pedro did: “another unfortunate play [the supposed hand ball] that went against us; didn’t seem like it was. I know it’s difficult to see. If the referee interpreted it that way, that’s the end of the discussion. We have to concentrate on our job: play game after game and try to reduce the 6 point lead as much as we can”. Piqué, always the optimist, talked about 3 points instead of 6, as he didn’t concede that Madrid would win the match they were still playing: “The win raises our spirits and gives us confidence going into the Champions League and to stay alive in the Liga”. The center back, who scored the 600th goal of the Guardiola era, did not want to repeat that statement he made a few weeks back about “the Liga will be long for Madrid” –“then they’ll kill me” he admitted laughing -: “We have to do our job and that’s it.