Raphinha described FC Barcelona’s Champions League quarter-final elimination as a “robbery” after their 3-2 aggregate loss to Atletico Madrid. Despite winning the second leg 2-1, Barcelona could not recover from a 2-0 deficit in the opening match.
Raphinha described FC Barcelona’s Champions League quarter-final elimination as a “robbery” after their 3-2 aggregate loss to Atletico Madrid. Despite winning the second leg 2-1, Barcelona could not recover from a 2-0 deficit in the opening match.
A red card was shown to a Barcelona player in each leg, with both incidents occurring after referees reviewed potential denial of a goalscoring opportunity on the pitchside monitor. Pau Cubarsi was sent off in the first match by Istvan Kovacs, while Eric Garcia received his dismissal in the return fixture from Clement Turpin.
Barcelona were also critical of a moment in the first encounter when play continued despite a handball by Marc Pubill inside Atletico’s penalty area. The decision, overseen by Kovacs and video assistant referee Christian Dingert, added to the club’s frustration.
The Spanish side later filed a complaint to UEFA, citing what they called a serious lack of VAR involvement, but their protest was ruled inadmissible.
Raphinha, who missed both matches due to injury, strongly criticised the officiating after the second leg. He argued that the refereeing standards were poor and questioned several decisions made during the tie.
He highlighted that Atletico committed numerous fouls without receiving a single booking in the second match, while Barcelona were shown one yellow card in addition to a red. According to him, such inconsistencies made the challenge significantly harder for his team.
The Brazilian forward also suggested that repeated errors of a similar nature should be examined more closely. While acknowledging that mistakes can happen, he stressed that recurring issues demand attention.
He further expressed confusion over what he perceived as hesitation toward Barcelona’s potential success, suggesting the team had to put in extra effort to compensate for decisions on the pitch.
Juan Musso, Atletico’s goalkeeper, rejected claims that the match outcome was unfair. He described such accusations as unreasonable and insisted that his side earned the result on the field.
Musso also dismissed suggestions that Atletico benefited from leniency, noting exaggerated claims about penalties and red cards. He pointed out that being the last defender in certain situations naturally leads to dismissals.
UEFA confirmed that its disciplinary body will review reports from the second leg before determining whether any action will be taken, including a possible charge related to Raphinha’s remarks.
