FC Barcelona has submitted a second official complaint to UEFA regarding the officiating during their Champions League quarter-final matches against Atletico Madrid. The Catalan club expressed significant dissatisfaction after their elimination from the tournament, with star forward Raphinha describing the outcome as a “robbery.”
Barcelona exited the competition following a 3-2 aggregate defeat to Atletico, having received red cards in both legs. The club contended that they should have been awarded penalties in both encounters, a claim that has been disputed by Atletico Madrid.
This latest complaint marks Barcelona’s second to UEFA within a week. They assert that the officials’ performance had a substantial influence on the final result, alleging that multiple decisions were made which “did not comply with the laws of the game.” The club’s statement further highlights “sporting and financial harm” incurred as a consequence.
Barcelona’s initial complaint, made last week, focused on an alleged handball by Atletico defender Marc Pubill that they believed should have resulted in a penalty. UEFA dismissed this complaint, deeming it “inadmissible,” a decision that was reportedly met with dissatisfaction in Catalonia, with the club feeling disrespected.
Full FC Barcelona Statement:
FC Barcelona has submitted a complaint to UEFA regarding the refereeing performance in the Champions League quarter-final tie played against Atletico Madrid.
The club considers that, across both legs of the tie, several refereeing decisions were made that did not comply with the Laws of the Game, resulting from an incorrect application of the regulations and a lack of appropriate intervention by the VAR system in incidents of clear significance.
According to FC Barcelona, the accumulation of these errors had a direct impact on the course of the matches and on the final outcome of the tie, causing significant sporting and financial harm to the club.
Through this complaint, the Club reiterates the requests previously made to UEFA and, at the same time, offers to collaborate with the organisation with the aim of improving the refereeing system to ensure a more rigorous, fair and transparent application of the Laws of the Game.
