Barcelona lament inconsistent Spanish refereeing after 0-4 Atlético defeat | OneFootball

Hansi Flick and Barcelona have condemned what they see as inconsistency and dysfunction in Spanish refereeing, escalating their complaint with an official intervention.

Barcelona lost 0-4 at Atlético Madrid on Thursday in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-finals, and a VAR failure occurred during the match. The club said in a statement that it has sent an official letter to the Spanish federation, its president, the referees’ committee president, the VAR chief and the legal affairs director, expressing deep concern over repeated decisions they consider harmful to the game and lacking coherent criteria, and complaining of flagrant errors across the season, many decisive and damaging, fuelling growing mistrust.

The letter identifies five areas, inconsistent disciplinary criteria, contradictory handball rulings, an accumulation of major errors, doubts over VAR’s use and transparency, and unclear standards for on-field monitor reviews.

Barcelona sit top of La Liga and are the reigning Spanish champions.

The wider climate remains fraught, with Real Madrid and Barcelona accusing each other of receiving favourable calls.

Source: L'Équipe