Barca boycott Spanish FA meeting

Barcelona are set to boycott a Spanish football federation (RFEF) meeting in protest at perceived ill-treatment by referees this season.

The Catalan club's relationship with match officials hit a new low this week after defender Gerard Pique was sent off in Saturday night's 3-1 win over Sporting Gijon at the Nou Camp.

A spokesman for the club's board, Toni Freixa, confirmed today that Barca would appeal the red card - a decision Pique subsequently claimed was "pre-meditated".

That has prompted a war of words between Barca and referees' technical committee Victoriano Sanchez Arminio, who condemned the Spain international's comments and said he would make an official complaint to the RFEF.

Freixa returned fire in a press conference today during which he said Barca had "not been having much luck" with refereeing decisions this season.

After also claiming Arminio's comments were "an opportunistic show for the benefit of the media that provoke discriminatory treatment in a top-level competition" Freixa revealed the club's boycott of tomorrow's RFEF general assembly.

"Hopefully in the remainder of the season, we have no grounds to feel how we feel now," he said.

"It (refereeing) is a difficult task and we understand that this year we're lucky. However, we remain faithful not to discuss the work of the referees."

He added: "It should be noted that the behaviour of our players and coaching staff has been and is impeccable in Barcelona and the Spanish team."

Barcelona are currently 10 points adrift of leaders Real Madrid in their bid for a fourth consecutive Primera Division title.