Barcelona files a complaint with UEFA after controversy with Atlético de Madrid.

Barcelona erupts against VAR and files formal complaint with UEFA after controversy with Atlético de Madrid!

The humiliating 2-0 defeat in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals against Atlético de Madrid left Barcelona furious, but not because of the justified red card for Pau Cubarsí. The Catalan club is raising a storm over a decision they consider scandalous: the VAR’s refusal to award a penalty against Atlético for the controversial handball by Marc Pubill during a goal-kick play.

Hansi Flick did not hide his discontent and was outspoken in his criticism of VAR, which ignored Pubill’s clear handball. The blaugranas argue that the ball was already in play—after goalkeeper Juan Musso passed the ball to a teammate—and that the hand should have been penalized. However, referee Istvan Kovacs and the video team decided not to call a foul, raising suspicions of bias and gross error.

Barcelona did not stop at verbal outrage: according to sports media reports, the club has filed a formal complaint with the UEFA, demanding that the incident be reviewed and recognized as an “obvious infringement” that leaves no room for doubt. To bolster their position, the Catalans have brought up a recent and controversial precedent: last season, in a match between Club Brugge and Aston Villa, Tyrone Mings was penalized for a similar situation, with a penalty awarded against the English team. The glaring discrepancy between the two cases is being used as ammunition to pressure UEFA to take action.

But the criticisms from Barcelona do not end there. In the official document sent to UEFA, the club also questions the referee’s decision not to send off Atlético captain Koke Resurrección, who should have received a second yellow card for two fouls deserving of punishment. This omission further heightens the sense of injustice and unequal treatment in a decisive match.

Despite acknowledging that the result is unlikely to be altered by the complaint, Barcelona officials are demanding total transparency. They are seeking access to the communications between referee Istvan Kovacs and the VAR team during the match at Spotify Camp Nou, so that the truth can be revealed to the public and guarantees of fairness exist at this level of European football.

Now, the focus shifts to the second leg, scheduled for next week at the Metropolitano in Riyadh, where Barcelona will need to show all their grit in an attempt at an epic comeback. But the question remains: to what extent are refereeing and VAR influencing the outcomes of Europe’s most prestigious competition?

This case promises to spark discussion, with Barcelona directly challenging UEFA and the credibility of VAR, at a time when football needs transparency and fairness more than ever. The battle is on — and the football world is watching closely.

This article first appeared on Apito Final.