Barcelona top list for most red cards in UEFA Champions League in last 10 years | OneFootball

One of the most influential moments from the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-final between FC Barcelona and Atletico Madrid was the red card shown to Pau Cubarsi just before the end of the first half.

This incident not only made the second half significantly more difficult for the Catalan side, but also continued a worrying trend that has been developing over the years.

As noted by Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona are the team with the highest number of red cards in the last ten years of the competition, with a total of 12 dismissals.

A significant number of these have come in recent times under Hansi Flick. Since his arrival in the summer of 2024, the team has already received four red cards in the Champions League. These have involved Eric Garcia, Ronald Araujo, and Cubarsi himself on two occasions.

Furthermore, seven of the 12 red cards have come as a result of two yellow cards over past decade. Another concerning aspect is the timing of these dismissals, as many have taken place in the first half.

This was the case for Araujo against PSG and Chelsea, Garcia against AS Monaco, and Cubarsi against SL Benfica and Atletico Madrid.

In terms of individuals, Cubarsi, Araujo, Garcia, and Gerard Pique are among the players with the most red cards for the club in this period.

There have also been attempts to address this situation. Flick has instructed his players to avoid protesting refereeing decisions in order to reduce unnecessary bookings, and has even substituted key players at times to prevent potential dismissals.

Following Barcelona in this regard are FC Bayern Munich, with 8 red cards, and Real Madrid, with 6, which further highlights the scale of the issue for the Blaugrana in Europe.