🚨Giovani Lo Celso on his disallowed goal against Barcelona in Real Betis’ controversial 5–2 defeat: 🗣️ Giovani Lo Celso: “I’ve been playing football for many years, and this is one decision I will question for the rest of my life. Not necessarily because there was no handball, but because of everything that happened between that incident and the moment I scored. “Juan Hernández chested the ball, it came off his hand, and he played it back into the game. We continued the attack, Barcelona defended, the ball was recycled, and eventually it came to me. I hit the volley perfectly, the ball went in, and I celebrated because I genuinely believed we had scored a wonderful goal. “What made it even more special was that my family were in the stands. I wanted to dedicate that goal to my cousin, who is battling cancer. For me, it was more than just another goal. It was an emotional moment, something I wanted to share with the people who mean the most to me. “Then suddenly, the referee started reviewing the incident. They went back around 45 seconds to find a handball, even though the game had continued, Barcelona had defended our attack, and the ball had changed phases before I scored. I was standing there wondering how a moment from so long before could suddenly erase everything that happened afterwards. “I can accept a referee blowing for handball. What I cannot understand is the consistency of the decision-making. Why allow the game to continue for so long before going back to cancel a goal? Where does it end? Are we going to review every touch from a minute earlier whenever a team scores? “First, Facundo Bernal was sent off after the incident with Lamine Yamal. Then my goal was disallowed. When you look at those decisions together, you understand why the dressing room is frustrated. We kept fighting, we created problems for Barcelona, and there were moments when we genuinely looked capable of hurting them. “Barcelona can celebrate their five goals and enjoy their victory. They played their part, and I will not deny their quality. But we also know what happened on that pitch, and we know how much those controversial decisions affected the atmosphere of the game. I cannot simply forget it because the final score says 5–2. “I will never understand how a goal like that can be taken away after the game has continued for so long. Perhaps the referee believes he made the correct decision, but he should understand why we are asking questions. I would rather lose a match where everything is decided fairly than win one surrounded by controversy. Goals are meant to create memories, not leave players wondering whether their celebrations will be taken away 45 seconds later.”

🚨Lamine Yamal on what Hansi Flick told him after substituting him during Barcelona’s 5-2 win over Real Betis: 🗣️ Lamine Yamal: “When I came off, I could hear the fans booing me. I had to get off the pitch quickly because you can feel that kind of reaction, even when you try not to let it affect you. “Hansi came straight to me, and the first thing he said was, ‘Forget the noise. You’ve done your job. Let them say whatever they want about you; let your football speak for you.’ “He told me, ‘You scored a goal and provided an assist. That’s good, but we can do better. You left too much space tonight, you allowed them to attack us, and at certain moments you let the noise get into your head. I want you to be more focused because your responsibility doesn’t end when you have the ball.’ “That is Hansi Flick. Even when we win, he doesn’t allow us to become comfortable. He doesn’t look at the scoreline and say everything is perfect. He looks at what we could have done better, where we lost control and how we can improve as a team. “He wants me to keep attacking, keep creating chances and keep taking responsibility, but he also wants me to understand the defensive side of the game. At Barcelona, everyone has a role. When we lose possession, we have to react immediately, press together and make sure the team stays compact. You cannot expect your teammates to do all the running while you wait for the ball to come back to you. “He also told me that being substituted is not always a punishment. Sometimes it is a message, sometimes it is protection, and sometimes it is simply part of the plan. He said I have to learn to accept those decisions without allowing frustration to affect my attitude. “Honestly, I appreciate that about him. He doesn’t care about your age, your reputation or how many people praise you. If you make a mistake, he will tell you. If you score and assist but still leave spaces for the opposition, he will tell you that too. He wants more because he knows what we are capable of achieving. “He reminded me that the best players are not judged only by their goals and assists. They are judged by how they help the team in every phase of the match, especially when the game becomes difficult. That is something I am still learning, and I know I have to improve. “Today, we won, but we conceded two goals. That tells you there are still things we need to improve defensively. We cannot always depend on our attacking quality to rescue us. Against stronger opponents, those mistakes can cost us points, and in the biggest matches, one moment of losing concentration can change everything. “I know people expect me to create something every time I receive the ball. I enjoy that responsibility, but I also understand that I have to be disciplined. Sometimes the right decision is to slow the game down, track my runner or help the full-back instead of trying to produce another highlight. “The fans can boo me, the media can criticise me, and people can talk about my performance all they want. That comes with playing for Barcelona. But I have a coach who will tell me the truth even after I score and assist. Hansi wants me to become a better player, not just a player who produces highlights. And if I want to become one of the best in the world, I have to learn to defend, fight for the team and deliver even more.”

🚨Victor Muñoz on his altercation with Kevin Schade before scoring against Brentford: 🗣️ Victor Muñoz: “He clearly wanted to bully me. He came right into my face and said, ‘Get out of my way. You’re too small for me. I can’t even see you.’ “I looked at him and said, ‘Then get through me.’ “He came towards me, pushed me down, and I dragged him down with me. We both got back up, the referee came over and gave us a yellow card each. But before I walked away, I turned to him and said, ‘You can’t see me now, but you’re going to see me very soon.’ “I meant every word of it. “I’m not the biggest player on the pitch, and I know some defenders look at my size and think they can intimidate me. But I’ve never believed football is decided by who looks the biggest or who makes the most noise. You can be physically stronger than me, but that doesn’t mean you’re going to beat me. “When Brentford lost possession, Florian Wirtz picked up the ball and played it across to me. The moment I saw the space, I remembered exactly what Schade had said. ‘I can’t see you.’ “So I thought to myself, ‘Right, let me make sure you see me now.’ “I attacked the space, took my chance and put the ball in the back of the net. Honestly, the relief was incredible. All that frustration from the confrontation came out in that moment. I wanted to celebrate, I wanted to enjoy it, and yes, I wanted him to see exactly who had scored. “When I turned towards him to celebrate, I wasn’t thinking about his size or mine anymore. I was thinking about the fact that he’d spent the game trying to make me feel small, and I’d just answered him in the best way possible. “That’s football. You can talk before the goal, you can try to intimidate someone, you can make all the comments you want. But when the ball goes into the net, you have to live with the result. “I respect Kevin Schade as a footballer, but nobody is going to stand in front of me and tell me I’m too small to compete. I didn’t come here to impress people with my height. I came here to play football, score goals and help my team win. ‘He told me he couldn’t see me. So I gave him 90 minutes to remember my face.’”

🚨Roy Keane on Yarmoliuk headbutting Jeremy Jacquet during Brentford vs Liverpool: 🗣️ “I’m sorry, but I have very little sympathy for Yarmoliuk here. Liverpool are preparing to take a corner, Jacquet gets right into his face, words are exchanged, and Yarmoliuk decides the best response is to headbutt him. Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. Now he can take an early shower while his teammates deal with the mess he’s created. “Listen, I understand football is emotional. I understand opponents will provoke you. They’ll whisper things in your ear, get in your face and try every trick in the book to upset you. But if a few words are enough to make you throw away your discipline, then you need to have a serious look at yourself. “Jacquet might have been trying to wind him up. So what? That’s football. Your job is to compete, not to behave like someone has stolen your lunch money. You’re playing in the Premier League, not standing in a playground waiting for somebody to offend you. “And what makes it worse is the timing. Your team is defending a corner, everyone should be concentrating, and suddenly you’ve given the referee a reason to send you off. Your teammates now have to work harder, your manager has to change his plans, and the opposition has been handed an advantage because you couldn’t control yourself for five seconds. “I’d be furious if I were his manager. Absolutely furious. You can apologise in the dressing room afterwards, you can say you were frustrated, you can explain that Jacquet got too close. None of that changes the fact that you abandoned your responsibility to the team. “And don’t come telling me you’re a passionate player. Passion is tracking back when your legs are tired. Passion is putting your body on the line for a teammate. Passion is taking a difficult challenge and getting straight back up. Headbutting somebody because they’ve annoyed you isn’t passion. It’s a lack of discipline dressed up as aggression. “What do you think Jacquet is going to do the next time he faces him? He’ll remember this. He’ll know exactly which buttons to press. Yarmoliuk has practically handed every opponent in the league an instruction manual on how to get under his skin. That’s the embarrassing part. The next player won’t even need to touch him; he’ll just have to get close and start talking. “And I hope Yarmoliuk takes a long, hard look at himself after this. Because his teammates shouldn’t have to pay for his temper. The manager shouldn’t have to reorganise his team because one player couldn’t keep his head. And the supporters shouldn’t have to watch their team fight with ten men because somebody decided a personal argument was more important than the match. “Jacquet may have wanted a reaction, and Yarmoliuk gave him exactly what he wanted. One got involved in a confrontation; the other got himself sent off. If you’re going to lose your head that easily, don’t call yourself a warrior. Warriors know how to control themselves. This was stupidity, and his teammates are the ones left paying for it.””