After a controversial handball incident during their 2-0 Champions League quarterfinal first-leg loss to Atletico Madrid went unreviewed, FC Barcelona filed an official protest with UEFA.
In Wednesday night’s match in Barcelona, the visitors were ahead 1-0 when the crisis occurred in the 54th minute. Before attempting a goal kick, Atletico defender Marc Pubill seemed to steady the ball with a pass from goalkeeper Juan Musso.
The Barcelona players and bench reacted angrily as Romanian referee Istvan Kovacs waived play on without awarding a penalty.
“The club considers that the refereeing did not adhere to the current law, directly influencing how the game progressed and the result,” the Catalan club said in a sharply worded statement.
The video review procedure was also criticized by the five-time European champions, whose most recent victory in the UEFA Champions League occurred in 2015. The “decision, along with a grave lack of intervention by VAR, represents a major error,” they stated.
Barcelona went so far as to say that the occurrence is indicative of a larger trend in recent seasons. “This is not the first time in recent editions of the UEFA Champions League that unfathomable refereeing decisions have had a detrimental effect on the team, creating a clear double standard and preventing competition against other clubs on a level playing field,” the club stated.
The focus now shifts to next Wednesday’s return leg in Madrid, when Barcelona must overcome a two-goal deficit to maintain their hopes of qualifying for Europe.
