Barcelona are slated to face Girona on Monday in a must-win game, failing which the Catalans will have to relinquish their top spot to Real Madrid in the league table.
But in a week where there have been multiple refereeing scandals, even forcing the club to file an official complaint, Barcelona have been dealt with yet another bad news.
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Barça’s upcoming game against Girona at Montilivi will be officiated by none other than referee Cesar Soto Grado.
Who is Soto Grado?
As pointed out by Diario SPORT, Grado’s appointment has raised immediate concern within the Blaugrana dressing room.
The official arrives amidst intense controversy following Pau Cubarsí’s disallowed goal against Atletico Madrid, which prompted formal complaints from the club.
Soto Grado has a turbulent history with Barça, yielding a record of seven wins, three draws, and six defeats across 16 matches.
Soto Grado has a sketchy past with Barcelona. (Photo by Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images)
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This will be the third time he has officiated Hansi Flick’s side this season, following a contentious Madrid derby in November.
During that fixture, he sent off Pedri and awarded a penalty against Eric Garcia for handball, though Wojciech Szczesny saved the attempt.
He also initially awarded a penalty for a perceived foul on Vinicius Junior that was ultimately overturned by VAR after it was revealed the Brazilian dived.
His tenure is marked by high-profile disputes, most notably the 2023-24 Clasico, where he failed to award a ghost goal to Lamine Yamal.
Previous seasons saw a Joao Felix goal disallowed for a debated offside and a scoreless draw at Getafe marred by Raphinha’s dismissal.
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In that Getafe match, he refused a late penalty on Ronald Araujo, citing previous handballs by Gavi in a decision many viewed as an invention.
Even under Ronald Koeman, the official awarded a rigorous penalty against Frenkie de Jong during a defeat to Getafe in the 2020-21 campaign. The performance of Soto Grado, therefore, will certainly be a key monitorable this Monday.