Barcelona submits a formal complaint to UEFA, alleging referee errors in the Champions League defeat against Atletico.

Barcelona has released an announcement confirming they have submitted a formal complaint concerning the refereeing during the defeat to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League last Wednesday.

Barcelona files a formal complaint with UEFA

The Catalan club expressed extreme frustration over the decision not to disqualify Marc Pubill, and also not awarding Barcelona a penalty in a clear handball situation during this match.

Below is the full text of the announcement:

"FC Barcelona announces that its legal department has today submitted a complaint to UEFA concerning events during the UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg against Atlético Madrid. The club believes the refereeing did not properly adhere to current regulations, directly affecting the match's progression and the final outcome.

The complaint focuses on a specific incident. In the 54th minute of the match, after play had resumed correctly, an opposing player used his hand to play the ball inside the penalty area but no penalty was awarded. Barcelona considers this decision, along with the VAR's failure to intervene seriously, a major error. Therefore, the club has requested an investigation, access to relevant refereeing communications, and – if possible – official confirmation of the mistake and implementation of necessary measures.

Along this line, Barcelona states that this is not the first time in recent UEFA Champions League seasons that puzzling refereeing decisions have disadvantaged the club, creating clear unfairness and preventing Barcelona from competing on an equal footing with other opponents."

Acting president Rafa Yuste previously explained the club's reasoning for this action:

"With the technical and electronic technologies we have today, like VAR, I cannot understand why a clear penalty – in my view – was not awarded to Barcelona in the match against Atlético Madrid. I say this with respect for everyone. Whether intentional or not, that situation was too obvious.," he shared with the press.

"I do not wish to delve into criticizing the referees. We still have a very important second leg. The focus should be on the fact that a comeback is entirely possible, and we believe in that. Currently, the team has an important match against Espanyol, and as president, I do not want anything to affect the concentration that the club, players, and coaching staff need for this game."

"At the club, we are considering issuing an official statement. And it must not be forgotten – sometimes memory is short – that a similar incident happened to us in the Cup when playing at Atlético's stadium. We must speak out, because otherwise there will be no improvement. Everyone can make mistakes, but this is happening too frequently and we cannot ignore it.."