FCBARCELONA.CAT

09.03.2010 13:10

Barça committing fewest fouls

Edgar Fornós

FC Barcelona is the Liga side that commits the fewest fouls. After 25 games, they have committed 338, nine less than the second placed club. However, they have had four players sent off.

Barça’s record of 338 fouls is cleaner even than Deportivo de la Coruña’s tally of 347, and Real Madrid’s 354. But there are five teams that have had fewer red cards than the Catalans.

Four red cards

The direct red card shown to Zlatan Ibrahimovic in Almeria was the fourth time a Barça player got his marching orders this season. The first came on the day FC Barcelona entertained Real Madrid, when Sergio Busquets left the pitch early following a second booking. Against Getafe, at the Camp Nou, both Piqué and Márquez were dismissed.

Sergio, most fouls received

Unusually, the Barça player that has committed the most fouls this season is a forward, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, with 49. Midfielder Sergio Busquets is the man on the receiving end of most fouls, 52.

So, not only do Barça play lively attack-minded football, but they also prefer to avoid resorting to foul play. Never was there a better example of how a team can win and entertain without needing to employ dirty tactics.