“Referees should apply rules from the start:” Begiristain

Referees should apply the rules right from the start of the match, instead of allowing fouls to be left unpunished in the opening phase of a game, says FC Barcelona’s Director of Football, Aitor ‘Txiki’ Begiristain.

The former footballer, who just returned from Japan, wonders why there should be a difference between the first 15 minutes and the rest of the game.

“What we can ask is that the rules are applied from minute 1 and not from minute 15. Sometimes the first foul is enough to show a card. If it is, and the rules say so, then show the card and that’s it.”

Football referees have the habit of allowing players some more space in the opening minutes, and it has become very rare for yellow cards -let alone red cards- to be handed out in that part of a game.

Begiristain was a gifted winger himself, having represented FC Barcelona from 1988 to 1995. He ended his career at Japanese side Urawa Red Diamonds in 1999.