Barcelona forward Raphinha expressed strong criticism towards the refereeing following his team’s elimination from the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals by Atletico Madrid. Despite Barcelona’s 2–1 victory in the return leg, they failed to overturn a 2–0 deficit from the first match, losing the tie 3–2 on aggregate to their Spanish rivals. Raphinha labeled the match as a “robbery” and condemned the refereeing decisions made by Turpin, emphasizing a lack of yellow cards for Atletico despite numerous fouls.
The Brazilian forward, sidelined due to injury for both legs, highlighted a perceived pattern in the officiating across the two matches. He expressed frustration at the perceived disparity in treatment, noting the challenges faced by Barcelona in the games. Barcelona faced setbacks with two players being sent off in each leg following VAR interventions, raising further concerns over the consistency of officiating and VAR decisions during the matches.
Barcelona’s discontent extended to a first-leg incident involving Atletico defender Marc Pubill, where a potential handball was not penalized. Despite lodging a complaint with UEFA regarding the lack of VAR intervention, Barcelona’s plea was rejected, with the governing body deeming the protest inadmissible. The defeat prolongs Barcelona’s 11-year wait for a Champions League title, while Atletico Madrid advances to the semi-finals, aiming to secure their first Champions League trophy after three previous final appearances as runners-up.
