Barcelona lost 2-0 at the Spotify Camp Nou to Atlético Madrid, courtesy of goals from Julián Álvarez and Alexander Sørloth in the first and second halves respectively.
By Kehinde Okeowo
Barcelona on Thursday officially filed a complaint with UEFA regarding refereeing and VAR decisions during the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final clash with Atlético Madrid, on Wednesday.
In an official statement, the Catalan side expressed its frustration, stating: “The club considers that the refereeing did not adhere to the current Laws of the Game, directly influencing both the progression of the match and the final result.”
Atlético Madrid secured a 2-0 victory at the Spotify Camp Nou with goals from Julián Álvarez and Alexander Sørloth in the first and second halves, respectively.
The momentum shifted early against Hansi Flick’s side when defender Pau Cubarsí was shown a red card for a foul on Giuliano Simeone.
Despite playing at a disadvantage, the core of Barcelona’s grievance centers on a specific non-call in the second half.
ALSO READ: Flick blames Barcelona’s 2-0 loss to Atletico Madrid on ‘red card’
In their petition to European football’s governing body, Barcelona highlighted an incident in the 54th minute while trailing 1-0.
According to the Blaugrana, Atlético defender Marc Pubill allegedly touched the ball with his hand after receiving a pass from goalkeeper Juan Musso.
Barcelona noted that although the play had already been restarted, the referee failed to award a penalty.
The La Liga leaders went on to label the incident a “grave lack of intervention by VAR” and a “major error”.
However, Barcelona’s frustration extended beyond this single match, as the statement further asserted: “This is not the first time in recent editions of the UEFA Champions League that unfathomable refereeing decisions have had a detrimental effect on the team, creating a clear double standard and preventing competition on a level playing field.”
