Barcelona file official complaint to UEFA after Champions League loss to Atletico Madrid
Atletico Madrid defeated Barcelona 2-0 at the Spotify Camp Nou in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals. While the visitors capitalized on an early red card shown to Pau Cubarsi, Barcelona was left fuming over a controversial second-half sequence involving Juan Musso and Marc Pubill, leading the club to lodge an official complaint with UEFA.
The club’s frustration is directed at referee Istvan Kovacs and the VAR crew for failing to penalize a sequence where goalkeeper Musso took a goal kick with his feet to Pubill, who then stopped the ball with his hand to restart the play himself.
Barcelona contend that because Kovacs had already blown his whistle to restart play, Musso’s pass put the ball in play. Therefore, Pubill’s handling of the ball should have resulted in a penalty for the home side and a second yellow card for the defender. While the complaint is unlikely to change the match result, it could lead to sanctions for the officiating crew.
Barcelona’s official statement
One day after the controversy, Barcelona announced via their official website that legal services had submitted a formal grievance to UEFA. The statement focused specifically on the incident between Musso and Pubill, claiming the officials failed to adhere to the Laws of the Game.
“FC Barcelona inform that the Club legal services have submitted a complaint to UEFA today regarding the events in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal first leg against Atletico Madrid. The Club considers that the refereeing did not adhere to the current law, directly influencing how the game progressed and the result,” the club stated.
“…Accordingly, the Club has requested an investigation be opened, access to refereeing communications, and where applicable, official acknowledgment of the errors and the adoption of the relevant measures…” Barcelona wrote.
Hansi Flick slams referee and VAR performance
Following the match, Barcelona manager Hansi Flick was categorical in his criticism of Kovacs and the VAR room regarding the disputed play. The German manager compared his defender’s dismissal to what he believed should have been a red card for Pubill.
“We all make mistakes, but I don’t know… Cubarsi is sent off for a touch that doesn’t seem like enough for a red card, yet their keeper passes it to the center-back who touches it with his hand and VAR doesn’t intervene. What is the point of having VAR then?” Flick said visibly frustated by the referee’s decision.