Tensions are running high at Barcelona following their heavy 4-0 defeat to Atlético Madrid in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final. The repercussions of the match go beyond the scoreline, with controversial refereeing decisions sparking widespread debate within the Catalan club.
Official Action Against the Referee
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According to Marca, Barcelona is considering filing an official complaint with the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) regarding referee Martínez Munuera’s performance. The club’s management believes the team was subjected to decisions that significantly influenced the course of the match.
The main point of contention revolves around the disallowed goal after a VAR review. The process took approximately seven minutes, raising serious questions within the club about the decision-making procedure.
Offside Controversy and VAR
Barcelona’s management believes the offside call should have been decided quickly using semi-automated offside technology, without such a lengthy delay. They are demanding an official explanation of what occurred in the video assistant referee (VAR) room.
The club also objected to the decision to send off defender Eric Garcia, arguing that the incident did not warrant a red card, especially considering that Atlético player Giuliano was not sent off after a previous challenge on Alejandro Balde. The club viewed this as a clear double standard.
Fiery Statements After the Match
The criticism was not limited to the management. Frenkie de Jong expressed his dissatisfaction, stating that the replays did not clearly show the moment the ball touched the player. He questioned the basis for the decision and pointed out that the images he saw did not justify disallowing the goal.
For his part, sporting director Deco expressed his astonishment at how VAR was used, asserting that decisions have become more complicated and that the lengthy review time only added to the confusion rather than clarifying the situation.
Anticipated Escalation
Barcelona is considering all available legal options, based on an internal conviction that the refereeing decisions directly impacted the outcome of the match. The coming days may see official action that could reignite the debate over the effectiveness of VAR in Spanish competitions, particularly in high-profile matches.
