Barça beats the most controversial coach in La Liga F

BarcelonaBarça continues its march towards a seventh consecutive La Liga title. Pere Romeu's team secured a 2-0 victory away to Alhama ElPozo, maintaining a ten-point lead over second-placed Real Madrid. The Blaugrana dominated from start to finish, enjoying up to 90% possession, against a Murcia side that barely managed to get past the halfway line. Claudia Pina opened the scoring after a corner flicked on by Kika Nazareth at the far post.

Barcelona's chances continued, but goalkeeper Sol Belotto and a defensive line that tightened up the space prevented a second goal until the 72nd minute, when Kika Nazareth—playing her 50th match for Barcelona—delivered another corner, this time to the near post. Sydney Schertenleib combined brilliantly with Graham Hansen, and the Norwegian winger made no mistake, sealing a victory in a match dominated by Barça. The Barcelona coach used the game to rest the players who had seen the most playing time and to give the substitutes some experience. Martine Fenger made her first start in League F after having featured in several matches. The Norwegian striker almost opened her scoring account in her debut for Barcelona against Real Sociedad. The goal – which would have tied the game in second-half stoppage time – was disallowed for offside. They'll have to wait a little longer.

The visit to Alhama de Murcia also produced another unexpected return. If Salma Paralluelo played again on WednesdayThis Sunday it was Patri Guijarro's turn. The midfielder returned to action after three months. The Balearic player, a key figure in the team's midfield, suffered a stress fracture in the navicular bone of her right foot on October 15th at Roma's stadium. Twelve weeks later – just as predicted – she returned to play.

A surprising comeback

But the match also drew attention to what happened on the sidelines. Randri García, coach of Alhama ElPozo, returned to manage the Murcia-based team last weekend after a two-year suspension for alleged mistreatment of the players. The case came to light in April 2023 when several players reported receiving comments about their sexual orientation, physical appearance, or place of origin. Days after going public, seventeen players from the squad issued a statement denying the allegations, three of whom played on Sunday: Kuki, Astrid, and Raquel Pinel.

Finally, in December of that year – eight months after the initial accusations – he was suspended by the Federation, along with the club's technical director and Randri García's wife, Tamara Ruiz, who was accused of "passivity." However, the coach did not sever ties with the Murcia club and continued in his position under the sports director, now that his license has been reinstated. So far, he has suffered two defeats upon his return, but this case has opened a debate about the existing protocols in the League to protect female players.