Barcelona consider UEFA complaint after controversial defeat to Atletico
Barcelona are considering an official complaint to UEFA following a controversial 2-0 home defeat to Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final, according to sources at the Catalan club. The club is furious with the performance of the match officials, with manager Hansi Flick and club officials pointing to three key incidents they believe cost them the match.
The flashpoints began in the first half when Barcelona defender Pau Cubarsi was sent off for a professional foul. Initially shown a yellow card by Romanian referee Istvan Kovacs, the official was advised by the Video Assistant Referee to review the incident on the pitchside monitor. After a review, Kovacs upgraded the yellow card to a straight red, leaving Barcelona to play over an hour with ten men. Barcelona's anger was compounded when Atletico's Koke, already on a yellow card, escaped a second booking for a foul that the home side felt was a clear caution. The final, and most contentious, incident occurred in the 54th minute. Following a goal-kick, Atletico defender Marc Pubill appeared to handle the ball inside his own penalty area while under pressure. The Barcelona bench and players appealed for a penalty and a red card, believing the ball to be in play. However, the referee and the VAR team, led by German official Bastian Dankert, did not intervene to award a penalty or review the incident, deeming the ball was not yet in play from the goal-kick.
Barcelona manager Hansi Flick did not hold back in his post-match comments, expressing deep frustration with the officiating. "I don't know what to think about Cubarsi's sending off; it could have been a red card, or maybe not. I'm not sure he made enough contact," Flick stated. He was more forthright on the handball incident, adding, "The situation where they touched the ball with their hands in the area... I don't understand why the VAR didn't intervene. It should have been a penalty and a second yellow card, a red card. The VAR was rather in favour of Atletico." Atletico goalkeeper Juan Musso, involved in the handball incident, dismissed the controversy, telling reporters to "talk about the match" and insisting the ball was not in play.
The controversy was not confined to the pitch. The pre-match atmosphere was also heated, with the Atletico Madrid team bus reportedly being pelted with stones by a section of Barcelona fans, breaking two windows. Atletico manager Diego Simeone pointedly remarked that such incidents were not unusual when his team visits the Camp Nou. This match is not the first time Barcelona have felt aggrieved by officiating against Atletico this season. In a Copa del Rey semi-final first leg in February, a goal by Pau Cubarsi was controversially disallowed after a lengthy VAR review, a decision that also led to an official complaint from the Catalan club to the Spanish Football Federation.
Barcelona's board is now reportedly weighing an official complaint to UEFA, focusing on the performance of the refereeing team and the VAR, led by German official Bastian Dankert. The club is said to be furious with the handling of the key incidents, which they believe have severely damaged their chances of progressing to the Champions League semi-finals. The second leg at the Metropolitano Stadium now represents a monumental challenge for the Spanish champions, who must overturn a two-goal deficit without their young defensive lynchpin, Pau Cubarsi, who will be suspended.
