Football: Barca’s Pique cleared in referee spat

MADRID: Spanish football authorities announced they had cleared Barcelona defender Gerard Pique on a charge of accusing a referee of ‘premeditation’ in handing him a red card. “The competition committee has decided to close the complaint of the referees’ committee against Pique,” said an official at the Spanish Football Federation. “The statements made by Barcelona on behalf of its player have been taken into account.” The federation had already banned Pique for one match and fined him $785 after he made the accusation against the referee of a match against Sporting Gijon on March 3.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 16^th, 2012.