Barcelona weigh next steps as refereeing and VAR spark outrage in Atletico Madrid clash | OneFootball

FC Barcelona endured a very difficult last night as they visited the Wanda Metropolitano for the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final. The Blaugranes conceded four goals in the first half of the game, and saw the match finish with a 4-0 scoreline.

Even though there is still a second-leg left to play, this was clearly one of the most embarrassing games for La Blaugrana in the Hansi Flick era.

While the team will be assessing its shortcomings in the coming hours and days, there is a strong sense of anger at the club over what is perceived to be a deeply flawed refereeing display that compounded an already disastrous evening.

In fact, according to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona are now seriously considering filing a formal complaint with the Real Federación Española de Fútbol. The officiating led by Martínez Munuera has been heavily questioned, particularly for disciplinary decisions involving Atletico forward Giuliano Simeone.

Flick publicly highlighted that Simeone should have received a yellow card in the very first action of the match for a foul on Alejandro Balde. The disbelief only intensified in the second half when the Argentine escaped a red card for another hard challenge on the same player, a decision that left Barcelona stunned.

However, the incident that truly ignited fury was the disallowed goal scored by Pau Cubarsi in the 52nd minute, which would have made the score 4-1 and potentially shifted the momentum. Play was stopped for over six to seven minutes while VAR reviewed the action, yet Flick was given no explanation on the touchline as the check dragged on.

Barcelona were later informed that the semi-automated offside system had failed due to a high density of players in the penalty area, forcing the VAR officials to draw offside lines manually.

The explanation issued by the Technical Committee of Referees did little to calm the situation, with the club unable to accept that such a common scenario could not be handled by a system designed precisely for these moments.

As a result, Barça are expected to formally assess the episode in the coming hours, but all indications suggest a complaint will be lodged with the federation.

While the refereeing controversy dominates the immediate aftermath, there is also an internal acceptance that the team must respond on the pitch, with a far stronger showing required if they are to restore pride and salvage their Copa del Rey campaign in the second leg.