FC Barcelona has taken official administrative action by submitting a formal complaint to UEFA on Thursday, targeting the refereeing and Video Assistant Referee (VAR) conduct during their 2-0 Champions League loss to Atlético Madrid. The grievance stems from the opening leg of the quarter-final clash held at the Camp Nou, where the Catalan club feels the officiating significantly compromised their competitive standing.
The match, which saw Hansi Flick’s squad fall to their domestic rivals, was marked by several flashpoints that the Blaugrana believe were handled incorrectly. A major point of contention was the expulsion of defender Pau Cubarsí, but the focal point of the club’s protest centers on a bizarre incident in the 54th minute. During this sequence, Atlético goalkeeper Juan Musso played a pass to defender Marc Pubill within their own penalty area.
Following what appeared to be a standard restart, Pubill reportedly handled the ball inside the box. Despite the infringement occurring in a live-play scenario, the match officials failed to award the expected penalty to the hosts. Barcelona’s leadership contends that this failure to apply the established laws of the game was a fundamental error that directly dictated the momentum and ultimate conclusion of the fixture.
In their communication to the continental governing body, Barcelona argued that the technical oversight by the officiating crew did not align with current regulatory standards. By bypassing the VAR review for the penalty incident and other disputed calls, the club maintains that the integrity of the match was undermined, leading to a result that does not accurately reflect the play on the pitch.
