Barcelona Slam Refereeing Following Champions League Exit To Atletico Madrid

Barcelona have strongly criticised the standard of officiating following their Champions League quarter-final elimination by Atletico Madrid, with forward Raphinha describing the outcome as unjust. According to reports from Ireporter Online, the Catalan side voiced frustration over a series of contentious refereeing decisions across both legs of the encounter.

Despite securing a 2-1 victory in the second leg, Barcelona were eliminated 3-2 on aggregate. The tie was overshadowed by multiple controversial moments involving disciplinary actions, as the Spanish club saw a player sent off in each leg after reviews for denying clear goal-scoring opportunities. In the first meeting, young defender Pau Cubarsi was dismissed by referee Istvan Kovacs, while the return leg saw Eric Garcia shown a red card late in the game by Clement Turpin.

Barcelona were further aggrieved by a first-leg incident in which Atletico defender Marc Pubill handled the ball inside the penalty area, yet no spot-kick was awarded following consultation between Kovacs and VAR official Christian Dingert.

Reacting after the match, Raphinha expressed disbelief at the officiating, insisting that repeated questionable calls influenced the outcome of the tie. He also pointed to what he perceived as leniency toward Atletico Madrid, noting that the opposition finished the second leg without receiving a single booking, while Barcelona were penalised with both a yellow and a red card.

The club subsequently lodged a complaint with UEFA, citing what they termed a significant failure in VAR intervention. However, the complaint was deemed inadmissible by the governing body.

Raphinha further suggested that the consistency of the refereeing errors raised concerns, emphasising that while mistakes are inevitable in football, repeated occurrences of similar decisions warrant closer scrutiny.

UEFA has indicated that its disciplinary committee will review the officials’ reports before determining whether any further action will be taken, including the possibility of sanctions against the Barcelona forward for his post-match remarks.

Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Juan Musso dismissed Barcelona’s complaints, arguing that the result was earned on merit. He rejected claims of unfairness, maintaining that his team’s performance on the pitch justified their progression to the next round.