Laporta Announces Complaint to UEFA Against Refereeing in Atlético Madrid Match

Barcelona president Joan Laporta announced on Wednesday that the Catalan club intends to file a new official complaint with the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) in protest of the refereeing decisions witnessed during their recent Champions League quarter-final second leg against Atlético Madrid.

Laporta clarified that this action stems from what he described as the unacceptable performance of the refereeing team and the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) during the encounter. He stressed that the club would not remain silent in the face of what it considered transgressions that directly impacted the competition's fairness.

The Spanish club president strongly criticized the decisions made in the first leg, pointing to specific instances that angered the management. Speaking about the crisis, Laporta stated that the refereeing yesterday was “shameful,” both from the main referee and VAR. He continued, explaining, “What they did to us is unacceptable. In the first leg, a clear penalty was awarded against us, and one of our players was sent off with a red card when the situation only warranted a warning because Giuliano was not in control of the ball.” He added that these incidents necessitate a thorough review by the responsible continental bodies to ensure fair play.

This escalating step underscores the management's desire to protect the team's rights in European competitions, especially after identifying refereeing incidents that the club believes were influential in the final outcome of the clash against Atlético Madrid. While Laporta did not disclose additional details regarding the complaint's specific wording, he confirmed that the file submitted to UEFA would include complete documentation of the errors, with a focus on VAR's failure to correct some of the controversial decisions witnessed on the field.