SAN SEBASTIÁN, Spain – Barcelona captain Frenkie de Jong did not hold back after the Catalan giants suffered a controversial 2-1 defeat to Real Sociedad this Sunday. The Dutch midfielder lashed out at referee Gil Manzano, accusing the official of an arrogant “superiority complex” following a match-defining VAR decision.
The flashpoint occurred when a goal by teenage sensation Lamine Yamal was disallowed for a marginal offside while the game was still 0-0. The decision sparked outrage on the pitch and in the dugout, leading to a heated confrontation between the players and the officiating crew.
“I Am the Captain”
Speaking to Barça Times after the whistle, De Jong expressed his frustration with Manzano’s conduct. “This referee looks at you with an attitude of: ‘I’m above you’,” the midfielder reported. “You can’t talk to the referee. I’m the captain, I can talk to him, but he looked at me as if he were superior to us.”
De Jong also questioned the communication between the officials regarding the disallowed goal: “If it was offside, it was offside. But we were told it wasn’t. Then he discussed this with the fourth official as if it wasn’t the same for both of them. It’s confusing.”
Lamine Yamal’s Goal for Barca that was removed for offside.
This is the 3rd goal scored by Barca that was removed tonight. It was Vardrid the reverse would be the case. pic.twitter.com/RtRx86fdly— Frenzy_Hub1 (@Frenzy_hub1) January 18, 2026
Hansi Flick Backs His Leader
The anger wasn’t limited to the pitch. Manager Hansi Flick echoed his captain’s sentiments in a tense post-match press conference. While Flick usually praises La Liga officials, he singled out Manzano for criticism.
“I think Frenkie is right,” Flick stated. “He is always calm and thinks about what he says. He’s the captain, he wanted to talk to the official, but there was no possibility. With some referees here, you know exactly what’s happening.”
Impact on the Title Race
The defeat Barcelona’s first after a nine-game winning streak leaves a bitter taste due to the officiating. With the gap at the top potentially closing, the fallout from Gil Manzano’s performance is expected to dominate the Spanish headlines for the rest of the week.
Lamine Yamal’s goal that was ruled out due to “offside”
WE ARE GETTING ROBBED! pic.twitter.com/nFxx8Nkdut
— Barça Universal (@BarcaUniversal) January 18, 2026
Miguel Manjate is a football journalist and editor covering the Premier League, European competitions, and transfer news, with a strong focus on match analysis and data-driven reporting.
