The 'rip-offs' against Barça in LaLiga start early. Too early

FC Barcelona went into halftime with a 2-0 disadvantage against Levante after an unusual penalty for a handball sanctioned by the main referee Alejandro Hernández. The Canary Islands referee, called by Jorge Figueroa from the VOR room, decreed the infraction by Alejandro Balde, although the '3' of the 'culés' had his left arm tucked in when deflecting José Morales' shot inside the area.

The action occurred in the fifth minute of added time in the first half. Another lethal counterattack from Levante, after a corner in favor of Barça, ended in a shot by Morales directly at Álex's body. The ball deflected by the full-back went to the corner and that's where the first half should have ended.

However, Jorge Figueroa, in charge of the VAR, called Alejandro Hernández to review the handball. Unbelievably, after consulting the monitor, the main referee sanctioned the penalty in favor of Levante. Morales himself took charge of the penalty, overcoming Joan García's resistance with a tight shot.

Alejandro Hernández's 'rip-off': first robbery of the 25/26 season against Barça

Hernández Hernández, for the umpteenth time, should not referee a football match again. It is an action that, seeing it on the VAR, cannot be a penalty in any way. Balde has his left arm completely tucked in, with his hand in a natural position.

Although the ball hits his hand, it is totally involuntary and not punishable. But come on, we already know what the refereeing is playing at in this League, match after match. After a 'quiet' afternoon in Mallorca, it was time to mess things up on matchday 2 against Barça.

Against everything and everyone. There is no way to fight for the LaLiga title without adulterations of this type. Not to mention the interpretation of the regulations, which allows clubs like Real Madrid to field players registered irregularly (Franco Mastantuono).

Hernández Hernández had already messed up in the last Clásico of the 24/25 season

Hernández Hernández's 'rip-off', however, is not surprising at all. In the last Clásico of the 24/25 season, at Montjuïc (4-3 in favor of Barça), the Canary Islander had a grotesque performance. The most absurd controversy was a penalty for a handball by Aurélien Tchouaméni, after a shot by Fermín López, which was not sanctioned.

Although totally clear, unlike Balde's, the referee allowed the action to continue. Towards the end, he did cancel a great goal from the player from Huelva for a previous infraction.