FC Barcelona have lodged a formal complaint with UEFA following their 2–0 home defeat to Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final.
The Spanish club expressed strong dissatisfaction with a key refereeing decision, taking the matter beyond the pitch and into formal legal channels.
The dispute centres on an incident early in the second half involving Atletico goalkeeper Juan Musso and defender Marc Pubill.
Barcelona argued that Musso had already restarted play from a goal kick before Pubill handled the ball inside the six-yard box, which they believe warranted a penalty. However, referee Istvan Kovacs allowed play to continue, with VAR also choosing not to intervene.
The decision prompted furious reactions from the Barcelona bench during the match.
In an official statement, Barcelona confirmed that their legal department had submitted a complaint to UEFA, focusing specifically on the incident in the 54th minute.
The club described the decision — and the lack of VAR intervention — as a “major error”, calling for a full investigation. They have requested access to refereeing communications and an official acknowledgement should any mistake be identified, along with appropriate measures.
Barcelona’s complaint also highlights inconsistencies in how similar incidents have been handled in recent years.
In a 2024 Champions League quarter-final, no penalty was awarded to Bayern Munich against Arsenal in a comparable situation. However, later that year, VAR did award a penalty to Club Brugge in a similar incident involving Aston Villa.
