Xavi has labelled Real Madrid bad losers as the fallout from Barcelona's thrilling King's Cup victory over their arch rivals continued to dominate the sports headlines in Spain on Friday.
The European champions drew 2-2 at the Nou Camp to knock holders Real out at the quarter-final stage 4-3 on aggregate on Wednesday, after a match full of disputed refereeing decisions.
Spain midfielder Xavi was caught on camera speaking to Barcelona Television before a scheduled interview was due to start.
"They're the pits, they don't know how to lose," said Xavi shaking his head, on a video clip released on the El Mundo website www.elmundo.es.
Xavi's Spain team mate, Real defender Sergio Ramos, was sent off for a second bookable offence near the end on Wednesday for catching Barca midfielder Sergio Busquets in the face with his arm as the two jumped for a header.
Ramos used his official Twitter account to accuse Busquets, another Spanish World-Cup winning colleague, of feigning injury.
"I'm pleased the club (Real) are going to appeal my second yellow card because although some don't stop rolling around all over the place, I didn't touch him," Ramos wrote.
The lingering bad feeling after the recent 'Clasico' threatens to disrupt the harmony of the Spanish national team like last year, when the internationals from both clubs were reported to have spoken to each other privately to defuse the tension.
A photo of Real coach Jose Mourinho standing by referee Fernando Teixeira Vitienes's car after Wednesday's game has also been in the media, with Barcelona-based daily Mundo Deportivo reporting he harangued the match official.
"What an artist, you like to mess up the work of serious professionals," he was quoted as saying. "Now go and smoke a cigar and have a laugh, you have no shame."
Mourinho's spokesman Eladio Parames confirmed what the Portuguese had said on his official Twitter account.
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It's rather a case of bad winner who didn't like he had to work hard
Real has just given Barca probably the best game of their life! Maybe Xavi prefer Real to play like softies and only then will he call them good loser. And Ramos too should not talk too negatively about some of the Barca players. A fantastic game has finished and that's it. Xavi too should not label the WHOLE of Real Madrid as bad loser just because one one player alone! Player like Ozil, Kaka, Benzema and Ronaldo have just given Barca an absolutely great game to watch and although they could not get their desired result in the end, yet they are still cool after the game and never said anything bad about Barca! Xavi should instead label Real Madrid 'best' loser and not bad loser, for giving them another fantastic game to watch!
I don't think either side can really claim about the referee; yes mistakes were made but neither team benefited from it. Real had a goal disallowed and Ramos didn't deserve his sending off, but Lass was lucky not to see a red card.
What I can't understand is Xavi talking smack about Real's attitude; this clasico was much cleaner than the others, and Madrid showed real spirit on the pitch. They dominated the game and played very well. Why accuse them of being sore losers?
Unless something went on after the match that I didn't see...?
It was a shame to watch. I mean the officiating of the match. People often talk about robbing Madrid to pay Barca but I never took it serious until when I saw S. Ramos goal being disallowed for reasons not clear; talk less of all Barca players being recognized by officials as goalkeepers. Ramos was lastly compensated with a red card. Something tells me Barca head coach have a special coach to teach them how to roll with every contact with opponents. Why not ever give both fair chances to prove their strength? Why!?
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