Atlético Madrid's Juan Musso defends teammate after controversial handball incident
Atlético Madrid goalkeeper Juan Musso has defended teammate Marc Pubill following a controversial handball incident during his side's Champions League quarter-final first-leg victory over Barcelona. The incident, which occurred in the 55th minute of Atlético's 2-0 win at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys on Wednesday, has sparked debate after Pubill used his hand to control a goal kick from Musso before placing the ball on the line for the restart.
The match referee did not award a penalty, interpreting that the goal kick had not been taken and the ball was therefore not in play. Speaking after the match, Musso insisted the action was insignificant. "We cannot talk about this action, the ball was not in play," the Argentine goalkeeper said, according to reports from Spanish media. "Pubill's intervention changes nothing. If he wanted to take advantage of the situation, we could interpret it differently, but that is not the case. It is a totally insignificant action."
The decision not to sanction Pubill or award a penalty has drawn criticism, particularly from Barcelona manager Hansi Flick, who was visibly angered after the final whistle. The controversy comes just days after another contentious refereeing decision in European competition, when a red card shown to Barcelona's Gerard Martín in a previous round was rescinded upon review by UEFA.
Musso, 31, joined Atlético Madrid from Udinese in 2022 and has established himself as the club's first-choice goalkeeper. His post-match comments represent a firm backing of his defensive colleague Pubill, a 21-year-old right-back who has emerged as a regular this season. The incident did not affect the final result, as goals from Rodrigo de Paul and Samuel Lino gave Diego Simeone's side a commanding advantage ahead of next week's second leg in Madrid.
UEFA's match officials have not indicated any retrospective action will be taken against Pubill. The governing body's stance appears to align with the on-field decision that the ball was not officially in play, though the visual of a defender deliberately handling the ball inside his own penalty area has proven difficult for many observers to accept. The result leaves Barcelona with a steep challenge to overturn the two-goal deficit away from home if they are to reach the Champions League semi-finals.
