Mateu Lahoz has driven Barcelona to despair. The straw that broke the camel's back was not even Jordi Alba's red card, issued for very little reason, but the referee apologising to Espanyol at half-time for allowing a Barcelona goal to stand, when there was an offside during the build-up.

Alfonso Callejas

That he did not apologise to Barcelona and did to Los Pericos has infuriated the dressing room. Between this and other errors he has made in the past that have hurt the club, tempers have frayed.

Especially painful was an error made by Lahoz in the last week of last season, where a legal goal for Lionel Messi was ruled out for offside, partly costing Barcelona the title on the final day, when they played eventual winners, Atletico.

Furthermore, Lahoz allowed a goal by Angel di Maria in the Copa del Rey, which looked offside, to stand. Madrid went on to beat Barcelona.

As SPORT have come to know, Barcelona are angry about the attitude of Lahoz and the way he apologised to Espanyol after the derby, and think that they too deserve an apology after both Saturday, and the events of the previous year or so.