Joan Laporta, President of Barcelona, has declared that the club will submit a second official complaint to UEFA following their Champions League elimination by Atletico Madrid. Barcelona’s initial complaint was reportedly rejected.
The Catalan club had previously lodged a complaint with UEFA regarding the officiating in the first leg of their tie, specifically citing the non-award of a penalty for an alleged handball by Marc Pubill. UEFA, however, deemed this complaint ‘inadmissible’. Laporta expressed his dismay in comments made to MD on Wednesday, describing the refusal to even consider their request for explanations as a “disgrace.”
“It is not permissible to file a complaint, and the response was that it was not allowed. What Barca is doing is seeking explanations as to why the complaint was not allowed. Yuste informed me that they will file another one. It is a disgrace, intolerable,” Laporta stated.
‘It was a disgrace, intolerable’ – Joan Laporta
While Laporta began by congratulating Atletico Madrid on reaching the semi-finals, he quickly turned his focus to the officiating.
“The refereeing yesterday, both on the pitch and by VAR, was a disgrace. What was done to us is intolerable; in the first leg, they failed to award us a clear penalty and sent off one of our players for a yellow card offense,” he alleged.
He further elaborated, stating, “The referee’s decisions have hurt us significantly. Eric was not the last man because Kounde could have reached him. The referee showed the yellow card, which was the correct decision, and the VAR referee made him reverse his call. Ferran’s goal should have stood. The penalty awarded to Olmo was a penalty. The foul on Fermin was intolerable. Fermin’s face was cut open. Not even a card was shown…”
UEFA-Barcelona relations had been improving
Relations between Barcelona and UEFA had seen an improvement in the period following the Super League controversy. Barcelona, a founding member of the breakaway competition, had since withdrawn. Laporta had also engaged in two meetings with UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin to discuss UEFA’s disciplinary proceedings concerning Barcelona’s financial practices, which ultimately resulted in a reduction of a €60m fine to €15m.
