Barcelona Lodge Fresh UEFA Complaint Over Atletico Champions League Exit
Barcelona have taken further action by filing a new complaint with UEFA following their Champions League quarter-final elimination against Atletico Madrid. The Spanish side, who lost 3-2 on aggregate, remain deeply dissatisfied with officiating decisions across both matches.
Barcelona submit a second UEFA complaint over refereeing and VAR decisions in their Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid, citing major impact.
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This latest submission comes shortly after their initial protest, highlighting continued frustration with referees and VAR interventions. The club insists that multiple calls during both legs were mishandled and significantly influenced the outcome.
Club president Joan Laporta voiced strong criticism, describing the officiating as unacceptable. Speaking publicly, he pointed to several contentious moments, including Pau Cubarsi’s red card, a suspected handball by Marc Pubill, Eric Garcia’s dismissal, a possible penalty involving Dani Olmo, and a physical incident between Fermin Lopez and Juan Musso.
Laporta acknowledged Atletico Madrid’s performance but maintained that officiating overshadowed the tie. He argued that earlier decisions, such as a missed penalty and a disputed red card in the first leg, had already put Barcelona at a disadvantage. He further questioned VAR’s role in upgrading Eric Garcia’s booking and insisted that additional calls—like Olmo’s penalty claim and Lopez’s injury—were not handled properly.
In their official statement, Barcelona expressed concerns in a more restrained tone but still emphasized serious issues. The club stated that several refereeing decisions did not align with the Laws of the Game, citing incorrect rule application and insufficient VAR intervention in critical situations.
Barcelona also stressed that these errors had broader consequences. According to the club, the cumulative effect of the decisions directly influenced both match progression and the final result, leading to notable sporting and financial losses.
Beyond addressing the specific incidents, Barcelona are calling for improvements in officiating standards. They reiterated previous requests to UEFA and offered to assist in refining the refereeing system to ensure greater fairness and transparency going forward.
The dispute follows UEFA’s earlier rejection of Barcelona’s initial complaint, which focused on a handball incident in the first leg. The club had requested an investigation, VAR audio release, and potential sanctions, but UEFA ruled the protest inadmissible, stating no punishable offense occurred.
That decision has only intensified Barcelona’s stance, prompting this renewed challenge as they continue to push for accountability and reform.
