Alex Abrines blasts EuroLeague referees: 'They have no respect for us' / News - Basketnews.com

Alex Abrines criticizes EuroLeague referees' decisions and biased officiating following their loss to Panathinaikos, citing specific instances and calling for a change in the refereeing standards: "It can't be that the referees make so many mistakes and then go home like nothing has happened."

Credit: Rodolfo Molina/GettyImages Credit Rodolfo Molina/GettyImages

After a EuroLeague Round 31 away game, FC Barcelona wing Alex Abrines expressed his frustration with the outcome and criticized the referees' decisions. The Catalans squandered a 16-point lead in the second quarter to ultimately lose 89-81 against Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens on Friday night.

Abrines didn't hold back, pointing out what he believed to be biased officiating throughout the season.

"We have been second almost the entire season, but they have no respect for us," Abrines said of EuroLeague referees post-game, via Mundo Deportivo's Jose Ignacio Huguet. "The game changed when [Ergin] Ataman was whistled for a technical foul."

Abrines highlighted a moment when the PAO head coach received a technical foul late in the second quarter with Barcelona leading comfortably at 43-29.

"They [officials] start to inflate us, the refereeing criteria change, and instead of punishing them, they punish us," Abrines went on to say. "I'm not saying that only about tonight's referees because it wasn't just today. It's happening every week, and something has to change."

Abrines cited examples, such as the treatment of teammate Ricky Rubio, to illustrate his point.

"Today, they haven't had any respect for a guy like Ricky Rubio, and I'm not talking about an eighteen-year-old guy who comes up from Barca B," the Blaugranas captain continued. "They haven't even called a foul against him."

"I don't know why this happens, I want to think that there's no campaign against Barcelona. But there's something, because we lived this throughout the season," the 30-year-old added. "We make mistakes ourselves, and we cannot let this advantage slip away, but there are things that happen during the game we're already fed up with. They don't let us compete, and I think it's unfair.

"Something has to change. It can't be that the referees make so many mistakes and then go home like nothing has happened. And next week, they'll officiate another game and continue getting paid."

In the PAO-Barca game, the hosts took 20 free throws, benefiting from 23 fouls called in their favor. Meanwhile, Barcelona players attempted 17 shots from the charity stripe, drawing 22 fouls.

Barcelona slipped down to fourth place in the EuroLeague standings, tied with Panathinaikos and Monaco. The defeat marked a disappointing end to a double-round week where the Catalans lost both games.

Panathinaikos-Barcelona highlights:

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