- Barcelona had lodged a formal complaint to UEFA over a disputed handball incident
- The referee and VAR had declined to award a penalty despite protests
- The club had claimed repeated unfair decisions in recent Champions League matches
FC Barcelona have filed an official complaint with UEFA following a controversial refereeing decision in their 2-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final clash.
In a statement released on Thursday, the Catalan club criticised the officiating, claiming it failed to comply with the laws of the game and had a direct impact on both the flow and outcome of the match.
The incident in question occurred in the 54th minute of Wednesday’s encounter in Barcelona, with Atletico already leading 1-0. Defender Marc Pubill was seen handling the ball after receiving a pass from goalkeeper Juan Musso, appearing to control it with his hand before taking a goal kick.
Despite appeals from Barcelona players, referee Istvan Kovacs did not award a penalty, and the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) did not intervene to review the incident. The decision prompted immediate protests from the home side’s players and coaching staff.
Barcelona described the moment as a “major error”, citing what they called a “grave lack of intervention” from VAR officials. The club further expressed frustration, suggesting that similar contentious decisions in recent editions of the UEFA Champions League have repeatedly gone against them.
The five-time European champions argued that such decisions undermine fair competition and create what they perceive as a double standard in officiating at the highest level of club football.
“This is not the first time unfathomable refereeing decisions have had a detrimental effect on the team,” the statement read, adding that such incidents hinder their ability to compete on a level playing field.
Attention now turns to the decisive second leg, scheduled to take place in Madrid next Wednesday, where Barcelona will need to overturn a two-goal deficit to keep their hopes of progressing alive.