Losantos Omar upset Levante manager Manuel Preciado in the cup midweek when he turned down two penalty appeals from his side and then awarded one to Barcelona. Losantos actually did give one of them when Puyol brought down Congo but changed his mind at the insistence of his linesman, and then didn't see Cocu handle the ball on the line. Although Preciado put on a touchline performance which included throwing one of his shoes the length of the pitch, he calmed down and wisely chose to say little in the press conference.

Some complaints at the weekend too, with Losantos Omar once again in the forefront when he turned down two more penalty appeals, this time early on from Betis winger Joaquín at Real Madrid. The match ended in a draw. Elswehere Albacete were not happy that Turienzo Alvarez didn't spot that Osasuna's Valdo was offside in the play leading up to Aloisi 's goal, and Sevilla moaned that what would have been an equalising goal from Martí was ruled out incorrectly by Iturralde González. Moreno Delgado was a bit heavy handed as well, sending off two players and Celta manager Lotina in the match at Murcia. (20.01.04)