Barcelona to file new complaint against UEFA referees after Champions League exit | OneFootball

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has vowed to file a new complaint to UEFA about their referees, describing them as “intolerable” after his side’s Champions League exit.

The Catalan giants were sent packing in the quarter final by La Liga rivals Atletico Madrid, losing 3-2 on aggregate after a mouth-watering second leg clash at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano.

Barcelona secured a 2-1 victory on the night, but it wasn’t enough to turn the tie on its head following their 2-0 defeat in the first leg at Spotify Camp Nou.

Lamine Yamal got the La Liga champions-elect underway with a goal in the fourth minute.

The possibility of pulling off a stunning “remontada” was strengthened by Ferran Torres, who got Barcelona level on aggregate just 20 minutes later.

However, Ademola Lookman restored Atletico’s aggregate lead just after the half-hour mark.

Torres was denied a brace by a VAR review just before the hour mark, then things went from bad to worse for Barcelona when Eric Garcia was sent off for a professional last-man foul.

Barcelona held on to secure a win but ultimately bowed out of the Champions League, leaving the club and its president fuming at the match officials.

Laporta had already filed a complaint after the 2-0 first-leg defeat, where, coincidentally, Barcelona also had a player sent off. But he didn’t get a response from UEFA.

Speaking at an event in Barcelona, Laporta made it clear that he’ll be launching a new complaint to UEFA after blaming the referees for his side’s Champions League exit.

“First of all, I want to congratulate Atletico de Madrid,” he said (via Ojogo). 

“But that doesn’t change the fact that yesterday’s refereeing, both by the referee and the VAR, was a disgrace. What they did to us is intolerable. 

“In the first leg, they didn’t award us a clear penalty and sent off a player [Pau Cubarsí] with a red card when it was only a yellow, because Giuliano didn’t have control of the ball. The red card hurt us a lot.

“In the second leg, Eric García [who was sent off] wasn’t the last man, [Jules] Koundé was coming on. The referee showed a yellow card, and VAR made him correct it. 

“Ferran’s goal was valid, the penalty on [Dani] Olmo was obvious, the aggression against Fermín [Lopez] is intolerable because he split his entire upper lip open and then showed a card to Gavi. 

“The kid was suffering while they stitched him up, and not even a card. It’s unacceptable.”

Barcelona will return to La Liga action with a home clash against Celta Vigo as they look to see out the title race. They’re leading by nine points with seven games left.