🔥 Barcelona Furious Over Controversial Decision – Official Complaint Sent to UEFA
FC Barcelona have officially filed a complaint to UEFA following a highly controversial decision in their 0-2 defeat against Atlético Madrid in the Champions League quarter-final first leg on April 9.
The incident that sparked outrage occurred in the 54th minute, when defender Marc Pubill appeared to handle the ball inside the penalty area after receiving it from goalkeeper Juan Musso. Despite strong protests from Barcelona players, referee István Kovács waved play on and did not award a penalty, nor did he issue a second yellow card. VAR, led by Christian Dingert, also chose not to intervene.
In an official statement, Barcelona confirmed:
“The club’s legal department has submitted a formal complaint to UEFA regarding incidents that occurred during the first-leg quarter-final match against Atlético Madrid. We believe the refereeing decisions were inconsistent with the current regulations and directly impacted the course and outcome of the match.”
The club specifically highlighted the controversial moment:
“Our complaint focuses on a clear situation in the 54th minute. After the ball was in play, an opposing player handled the ball inside the penalty area, yet no penalty was awarded.”
Barcelona also criticized VAR’s inaction, calling it a “serious error” that further influenced the match unfairly.
As a result, the Catalan club has requested UEFA to launch a full investigation, release the audio communications between the referee and VAR team, and publicly acknowledge any mistakes while applying appropriate measures.
Barcelona emphasized that this is not the first time they have suffered from “questionable decisions” in the Champions League, which they believe undermines fair competition.
At the time of the incident, Atlético Madrid were leading 1-0 thanks to a goal from Julián Álvarez, while Barcelona were already down to ten men following the red card shown to Pau Cubarsí. Later, Alexander Sørloth sealed the 2-0 victory with a goal in the 70th minute.
⚖️ UEFA Reaction & FIFA Decision
According to reports from Spanish outlet SPORT, UEFA have decided not to assign István Kovács to officiate any of the remaining Champions League matches this season, which include the quarter-final second legs, semi-finals, and the final.
Although UEFA rarely makes disciplinary actions public and denies the existence of any “blacklist,” internal decisions like this are often implemented behind the scenes.
However, Kovács has received positive news from FIFA. He has been included in the list of referees selected for the 2026 World Cup.
This means that despite being sidelined from the remainder of this season’s Champions League, the Romanian referee will still take part in the world’s biggest football tournament.