Piqué Slams Referee for 'Whistling Against Little Guys' After FC Andorra Match

Gerard Piqué expressed frustration with referee Eder Mallo after FC Andorra's match against Deportivo La Coruña, telling him "How easy it is to whistle against the little guys," according to the official match report.

The incident occurred at half-time in Encamp, as teams headed to the locker rooms. Piqué approached the Basque official, who is part of the Castile and León referees' committee, to protest the disallowance of Lautaro's goal in the first half. The referee noted that club staff had to restrain Piqué during the exchange. The decision prevented FC Andorra from taking the lead before the break.

Coach Carles Manso backed his team in the post-match press conference, describing the goal as "completely legal" from his view. "To call a foul like that, it has to be clearer than I think it was," he said, adding that he planned to review the play carefully. Manso also referenced another controversial moment—a potential penalty on Álvaro Martín—but declined to judge it definitively, saying his initial instinct as a club member pushed for a spot-kick, though he preferred not to speculate without certainty.

This is not the first time Mallo has documented complaints from Piqué in a match report, raising concerns about possible future sanctions for the Tricolour club.

Tensions extended beyond the pitch. Deportivo coach Antonio Hidalgo criticised constant insults from spectators behind his bench, which lasted the full 90 minutes and included personal family remarks. "We can't have people insulting for 90 minutes. Not everything goes," he said, calling for league-wide reflection and stricter measures.

Manso acknowledged hearing "some commotion" during the game but said he was too focused on play to know details. He condemned any disrespect outright: "If there was any lack of respect, it cannot be allowed. Football is a sport of values."