‘If it’s small, it’s still offside‘ — Mateu Alemany downplays referee controversy following Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid semi-final | OneFootball

FC Barcelona were left deeply dissatisfied with the refereeing after their heavy 4-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-finals. The result sparked frustration inside the Catalan club and led to complaints being raised at the highest level, including a formal protest directed at the match official.

The controversy has kept the spotlight firmly on the officiating rather than the football itself and has added further tension to an already bruising night for Barcelona. The disallowed goal early in the second half, which would have reduced the deficit, became the central talking point and reinforced long-standing grievances within the club about key decisions going against them in decisive matches.

Against this backdrop, former Barcelona sporting director Mateu Alemany, now serving as the Director of Football at Atletico Madrid, addressed the issue publicly. Speaking to DAZN and quoted by Mundo Deportivo, Alemany downplayed the controversy and insisted the refereeing should not be the focus of the discussion.

“From Thursday’s match, I find it curious that people are talking about the referees. I think that should be the least relevant thing. In the other day’s game, there is only one action that is questioned, which is an offside (the goal that would have made it 4–1 in Barcelona’s favour), and offside nowadays is checked technologically. It’s objective and not open to interpretation.”

Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images

Alemany further stressed that marginal decisions do not change the application of the law and pointed to a recent example involving his own club to underline his argument.

“If it’s offside, there’s no such thing as being a little bit offside. It either is, or it isn’t. The same thing happened to us the previous Sunday (against Betis, with a goal by Antoine Griezmann), where we were also given offside by a very small margin. If it’s small, it’s still offside. There’s nothing more to say.”

While Alemany’s remarks seek to close the debate, the episode continues to fuel Barcelona’s sense of injustice, especially given the scale of the defeat and the timing of the decision.

For now, Barcelona have a La Liga game scheduled for tonight against Girona, but this matter will still be alive in the minds of the players and the club for quite some time despite Mateu Alemany’s comments.