.Some controversy this weekend as to whether Iniesta's goal for Barcelona was offside or not. Velasco Carballo certainly didn't think so, ruling that a defender had deflected Xavi's pass in to the path of Gudjohnsen to play him on-side. The pundits' slow motion replays showed that the ball came off Eto'o, not the visiting player, and it should therefore have been ruled out. A hard decision to make though on a crowded pitch, and Barça got away with it.

If Velasco was at fault though it was for his heavy-handedness with the yellow cards, and after showing twelve it was statistically probable that somebody was going to get a second, Josemi being the unlucky man. Some commentators though said he was too soft! What do they want, that referees carry machine guns? (05.01.09)

PS. If we thought that Velasco showed too many cards, how about this? Referee José Manuel Barro Escandón sent off no less than 19 players in the Cádiz regional division match between Recreativo Linense and Saladillo! It all happened in the second half when the game errupted in a brawl, with spectators joining in as well! He was apparently only one short of the world record of 20 red cards which Paraguay's William Weiller produced in a fixture between Sportivo Ameliano and General Caballero back in 1993. One for the pub quizes?