Barcelona: Refereeing Errors Caused Us Significant Damage

Barcelona's interim president, Rafa Yuste, explained on Friday the official complaint the club filed with UEFA. The complaint addresses refereeing decisions and VAR interventions during their two Champions League quarter-final matches against Atlético Madrid. The Catalan club's management is deeply frustrated by several calls during their elimination, which they believe determined the final outcome. The Blaugrana were knocked out with an aggregate score of 2-3.

"We wanted to lodge an official complaint with UEFA regarding what happened. These are serious errors, which we outlined in our statement and which, in our opinion, do not comply with football's rules. They caused us significant economic and sporting damage, which is why we are expressing our indignation to UEFA," Yuste explained.

"We are also doing this from a constructive perspective. Despite the elimination, we wanted to convey to UEFA that things need to be done better. We believe that in this day and age, with six referees officiating a single match, so many errors should not be allowed. We believe this causes great harm to football. We don't understand how obvious situations, with VAR available, are not called as we believe they should have been," the acting president added.

In its written complaint, Barcelona did not delve into the specifics of the situations it deemed unfair. However, re-elected president Joan Laporta highlighted them on Wednesday: the red cards for Cubarsí and Eric García, a probable penalty against Olmo, Ferran Torres' disallowed goal, and the challenge between Fermín and Musso. It's worth noting that Barcelona had already sent a complaint to UEFA after the first leg, believing that Atlético defender Marc Pubill had handled the ball in the penalty area after play had resumed. UEFA then rejected those claims.

Despite the exit, Rafa Yuste expressed pride in Barcelona's performance. "We must always look forward. Defending our institution and club members is one thing, looking to the future is another. The team was deeply affected because they gave their all. They displayed brilliant football with a very young squad, which is a source of pride. Now it's time to move on and focus on La Liga," he said.

Yuste also emphasized that fans applauded the players, despite their failure to advance past the quarter-finals – something that hadn't happened in a long time. "There is a tremendous unity between the team and the supporters, which hasn't been seen in a long time. This is a young team, deeply committed to the club, and I am convinced they will lift the Champions League soon," he concluded.