Barcelona have once again taken action against the officiating in their Champions League quarter-final, confirming via an official statement that they have lodged a new complaint with UEFA.
The Catalan side are deeply dissatisfied with the refereeing across both legs of their tie against Atletico Madrid, and have formally raised concerns about several key decisions that, in their view, failed to meet the standards required by the Laws of the Game.
In their statement, the club pointed to what they consider a series of errors throughout the tie. “Several refereeing decisions across both matches did not conform to the Laws of the Game, due to an incorrect application of the regulations and insufficient intervention from VAR in key incidents,” the club stated.
Barcelona argue that these issues were not isolated, but part of a pattern that ultimately influenced the outcome of the tie.
The complaint centres on several controversial moments, including the sending-off of Eric Garcia, a potential penalty involving Marcos Llorente and Dani Olmo, and an incident in which Fermin Lopez was struck in the face by Juan Musso.
According to the club, the accumulation of these decisions had “a direct impact on the matches and the final outcome,” resulting in both sporting and economic damage.
Club president Joan Laporta had already voiced his frustration following the tie, openly criticising the refereeing in both legs.
This latest move marks Barcelona’s second formal complaint to UEFA in the space of a week. The first focused on the refereeing performance of Istvan Kovacs in the first leg.
In that submission, the club appealed for a penalty due to a handball by Pubill, argued that Pau Cubarsi should not have been sent off for his challenge on Giuliano Simeone, and claimed that Koke should have received a second yellow card.
Barcelona concluded their statement by offering their collaboration to improve refereeing standards, calling for “a more rigorous, fair and transparent application of the Laws of the Game.”
The complaint underlines the club’s growing frustration and keeps the spotlight firmly on officiating standards in one of the most high-profile ties of the Champions League season.
