Barcelona’s painful 0-2 defeat to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League quarter-final first leg continues to spark debate, but the fallout now goes beyond the result itself.
As such, the club is seriously considering escalating one of the situations that happened during the match to UEFA, with frustration growing over what they view as a series of questionable refereeing decisions.
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At the heart of the controversy is a bizarre moment involving Atletico defender Marc Pubill – an incident that has become one of the most talked-about talking points from the match.
What’s the story?
The incident happened in the second half when Atletico goalkeeper Juan Musso took a short goal-kick inside the box.
Pubill, seemingly unaware that play had already restarted, picked up the ball with his hands before casually returning it to his goalkeeper.
What followed left Barcelona players and staff in disbelief. Despite clear protests from the Blaugrana, the referee allowed Musso to retake the goal-kick, with no penalty awarded and no disciplinary action taken against Pubill.
From Barcelona’s perspective, the decision was not just questionable; it was a clear error that directly impacted the game.
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Inconsistent refereeing
The frustration is amplified by the fact that earlier in the first half, Pau Cubarsi had been sent off, leaving Barcelona to play the majority of the game with ten men.
Internally, Barcelona believe the handball incident should have resulted in a penalty and potentially a second yellow card for Pubill.
As a result, according to RAC1, the club is now weighing up the possibility of submitting a formal complaint to UEFA, seeking clarity and accountability over the decisions made.
While such a move would not change the result of the match, it certainly shows the growing frustration within the club.
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Barcelona feel that key moments, especially in a competition as significant as the Champions League, must be handled with greater precision.
