Champions scandal: Barça rage at refs v Atleti, demand VAR audio | OneFootball

The Blaugrana side lodged a fierce complaint over the penalty not awarded in the first leg of the quarterfinals. Laporta and company speak of an “action contrary to the regulations” and claim they feel systematically harmed in the Cup.

The 2-0 defeat to Atlético de Madrid hit Barcelona hard, but what hurt most was the feeling of injustice. Nine minutes into the second half, with Cholo’s team leading by the narrowest of margins, came the play that set off the bomb: Juan Musso put the ball back into play and Pubill handled it inside the box. Referee Istvan Kovacs waved play on, VAR did not call him over, and the Blaugrana world erupted.

The board led by Joan Laporta did not take long to react and issued a statement that is a veritable missile aimed at the European confederation. The club says there was a refereeing error with a “direct impact” on the result and held nothing back: it called for an investigation to be opened, access to the VAR audio, and acknowledgment of the mistakes made.

The hottest points of the complaint:

Hansi Flick also joined the outcry and kept it short and simple: “What do we have VAR for? It should have been a penalty and a red card,” said the coach, who now has to piece together the puzzle for the second leg without Pau Cubarsí, who was sent off and will miss the return in Madrid.

Before traveling to the Spanish capital to try to pull off a heroic comeback, Barcelona will have to face Espanyol in the Catalan derby this Saturday. However, in the Catalan capital today nobody is talking about tactics or individual names: all eyes are on Nyon, waiting for an answer to a complaint that has put the 2026 Champions League at boiling point.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.