Barcelona winger Raphinha did not accept his team’s Champions League elimination without protest. Atletico Madrid advanced to the semi-finals with a 3-2 aggregate victory over the Catalan club, securing their progression despite a 2-1 loss at the Metropolitano Stadium in the second leg.
Raphinha, who was sidelined due to injury, traveled to Madrid to support his teammates. Following the match, he made headlines with his strong criticisms of the officiating, as reported by MD.
“This was a stolen match. It was incredibly difficult, especially when you realize you have to put in triple the effort to win. Mistakes are human, but for it to happen again in the second leg? We played very well, but this tie was taken from us.”
The Barcelona players felt that several fouls were not awarded, and that their opponents were not penalized when they committed infractions. Raphinha highlighted the fact that Atletico Madrid did not receive a single yellow card in the second leg, interpreting this as a sign of “fear” from the officials.
“The refereeing was terrible; the decisions made were unbelievable. Atletico committed countless fouls, and the referee didn’t even show them a yellow card. I truly want to understand his fear that Barca might advance to the next round.”
Raphinha was not the only one to voice his displeasure. Frenkie de Jong also commented after the game, suggesting that the officiating in the first leg was the decisive factor.
“Luck hasn’t been on our side. We gave it our all, and we played well in both matches. In the end, it wasn’t enough, and we aim to improve, but we feel luck wasn’t with us,” Cadena SER quoted him as saying.
“In the first leg, the refereeing was decisive. The incident that defined the first match was when Pubill handled the ball, which should have resulted in a red card and a penalty. The officiating in the first game was crucial.”
De Jong also praised the performance of Barcelona’s young players, expressing optimism for the future. Meanwhile, Raphinha faces the possibility of a UEFA sanction for his post-match remarks.
English Translation:
Barcelona star Raphinha did not take his side’s exit from the Champions League lying down. Atletico Madrid ran out 3-2 winners on aggregate against the Catalan giants, after a 2-1 loss at the Metropolitano that was sufficient to take them through to the semi-finals.
Raphinha, who did not feature in the tie due to injury, had traveled to Madrid to support his teammates. He made headlines after the match after complaints about the refereeing as quoted by MD.
“It’s a stolen match. It was tough, especially when you see that you have to make three triple the effort to win the game. Making a mistake is human, but for it to happen again in the second leg? We’ve played very well, but this tie has been stolen from us.”
The Blaugrana felt on numerous occasions that they were not given the fouls merited, and that their opponents were not punished when they were. Raphinha pointed to the fact that Atletico did not pick up a booking in the second leg, calling it ‘fear’ from the officials.
“The refereeing has been terrible; it’s unbelievable the decisions he’s made. Atletico committed countless fouls, and the referee didn’t even show them a yellow card. I really want to understand his fear that Barca might get through to the next round.”
Raphinha was not alone in his complaints, with Frenkie de Jong commenting after the match that it was in the first leg the officiating was key.
“Luck has not been on our side. We tried everything, we played well in both matches. In the end it wasn’t enough, we want to improve, but we feel like luck wasn’t on our side,” Cadena SER quote.
“In the first leg, the refereeing was decisive. The play that marked the match in the first leg was when Pubill stopped that action with his hand, which should have been a red card and a penalty. In the first match, the refereeing was decisive.”
De Jong went on to comment on the excellent job that Barcelona’s young players did, and there were reasons for optimism going forward. On the other hand, Raphinha is at risk of a UEFA sanction for his comments.
