Barcelona lodge complaint with UEFA over handball decision

Barcelona filed a complaint on Thursday with UEFA over the decision not to review a handball incident in their 2-0 Champions League quarter-final, first leg defeat by Atletico Madrid.

“The club considers that the refereeing did not adhere to the current law, directly influencing how the game progressed and the result,” the club said in a statement.

The incident occurred after 54 minutes in Wednesday’s game in Barcelona with Atletico leading 1-0.

Atletico defender Marc Pubill touched a ball passed to him by goalkeeper Juan Musso with his hand, to set it still in order to take the goal-kick himself.

Romanian referee Istvan Kovacs did not award a penalty, sparking outrage among the Barcelona players and staff.

Five-time Champions League winners Barcelona, who last lifted the trophy in 2015, said the “decision, along with a grave lack of intervention by VAR, represents a major error”.

The club claimed that “this is not the first time in recent editions of the UEFA Champions League that unfathomable refereeing decisions have had a detrimental effect on the team, creating a clear double standard and preventing competing against other clubs on a level playing field”.

The second leg is next Wednesday in Madrid.

AFP