Kovacs, under whom Atlético have never won, to referee first leg v Barça | OneFootball

Atlético de Madrid face the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals against Barcelona and already know the referee appointed by UEFA. A choice that has not gone down well in the offices at the Metropolitano. The referee in charge of Wednesday’s Barcelona – Atlético clash is the Romanian Kovacs. An official who brings back bad memories for Simeone and his side, as they have never won with him in charge of the match.

The most recent match involving Atlético de Madrid with Kovacs as the appointed referee came in this current edition of Europe’s top competition. During the league phase, the Romanian officiated the Galatasaray 1-1 Atlético match. This latest precedent is the only one in which the Colchoneros got something positive, a draw. The other three ended in defeats.

The previous one came during the Club World Cup, which ended with Simeone and the red-and-white players furious. It was against PSG, in a match that ended in a 4-0 French win but was heavily influenced by the refereeing decisions. He disallowed what would have been Atlético’s 2-1, as well as overlooking a possible red card for Nuno Mendes, while Lenglet was sent off in a more than harsh decision. And he showed 7 yellow cards for 7 Atlético fouls.

The other two matches date back to previous editions of the Champions League. The first was in the group stage of the 2022/23 season, when Atlético lost 2-0 away to Club Brugge. The other was in the knockout rounds of the European Cup in the 2023/24 season. It was in the first leg of the round of 16, when Atlético narrowly lost to Inter in a tie they eventually turned around at the Metropolitano.

Atlético matches with Kovacs as referee

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