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Barcelona’s frustration following Wednesday night’s Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid was understandable. The Catalan side had been the better team in the first leg of their quarter-final clash at Camp Nou, despite playing more than half the match with 10 men after Pau Cubarsi received a straight red card just before half-time.

Under Hansi Flick, Barcelona dominated possession, created more clear chances, and struck the woodwork twice. Yet, Julian Alvarez’s stunning free-kick—awarded after Cubarsi’s foul on Giuliano Simeone—put Atletico ahead, and Alexander Sorloth’s second-half tap-in from Matteo Ruggeri’s cross made the task daunting for Barca ahead of Tuesday’s return leg at the Metropolitano.

While many sympathised with Barcelona for a scoreline that didn’t truly reflect their performance, their reaction afterward was both predictable and disappointing.

‘A major error’

Less than a day after the final whistle at Camp Nou, Barcelona issued a statement revealing that their legal department had filed a complaint with UEFA regarding a puzzling incident in Atletico’s penalty area in the 54th minute.

“After play had been correctly restarted, an opposing player picked up the ball in their area without the corresponding penalty being awarded,” the club’s statement read. “FC Barcelona believes that this decision, coupled with the serious lack of VAR intervention, represents a major error.

“Accordingly, the club has requested that an investigation be launched, access to refereeing communications be granted, and, where appropriate, official acknowledgment of the errors and the necessary measures be taken.”

If Barcelona had stopped there, their complaint might have been understandable, as Juan Musso appeared to have already taken a goal-kick before Marc Pubill handled the ball to restart play. However, the club’s statement went further.

In its closing paragraph, Barcelona claimed, “This is not the first time in recent editions of the UEFA Champions League that incomprehensible refereeing decisions have harmed the team, creating a double standard and preventing fair competition with other clubs.”

‘We can’t lose respect for referees’

Barcelona’s suggestion that referees treat them unfairly seemed absurd—especially given the ongoing investigation into alleged payments totalling €8.4 million (£7.3m/$9.8m) to companies linked to former referee official Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira during his tenure as vice-president of Spain’s National Committee of Referees (CTA).

In such circumstances, silence might have been wiser. It’s worth recalling that just last year, Hansi Flick criticised Real Madrid for threatening to boycott the 2024–25 Copa del Rey final due to alleged “hostility and animosity” from officials.

“What’s happening isn’t right,” said the German coach. “We can’t lose respect for referees. This is football, and it’s our duty to protect everyone—players, coaches, and referees. Emotions run high during matches, but once it’s over, we must move on.”

Unfortunately, Flick didn’t follow his own advice when Barcelona were knocked out of the Champions League less than two weeks later.

‘The result is unfair’

“We think the result is unfair because of certain refereeing decisions,” Flick said after last May’s 4-3 defeat to Inter, which eliminated Barcelona 7-6 on aggregate from the Champions League semi-finals.

“I don’t want to talk too much about the referee,” he added, before continuing to do so. “But every 50-50 decision went their way; that’s what makes me sad.”

What was truly disappointing was Flick confronting referee Szymon Marciniak after the match, which only encouraged more complaints from his players in their post-match interviews.

Ronald Araujo claimed Marciniak had “influenced” the game, Eric Garcia recalled previous grievances involving the Polish referee, and Pedri even called for an investigation into his officiating of the second leg.

“It’s not the first time this has happened with this referee. UEFA should look into it, because there are things I don’t understand and they’re hard to explain—all the 50-50s went their way,” said Pedri, echoing his coach’s remarks.

Baseless complaining

Marciniak dismissed Barcelona’s accusations as “ridiculous”—and rightly so. He had actually awarded Barcelona a penalty before VAR official Dennis Higler intervened, correctly ruling that Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s foul on Lamine Yamal occurred outside the area.

Higler had also authorised Inter’s penalty. And while Barcelona continued to complain about a legitimate tackle by Denzel Dumfries on Gerard Martin in the build-up to Inter’s equaliser, the real missed call was the officials failing to spot Inigo Martinez spitting at Francesco Acerbi after a verbal exchange just before half-time.

None of these facts fit the narrative pushed by Barcelona-based media outlet Sport, which labelled Marciniak a “Madridista” who supposedly favoured Real Madrid—a baseless claim based only on a photo of him standing next to a bag with the club’s crest.

This toxic culture surrounding El Clasico runs deep, making both Barcelona and Real Madrid see bias everywhere while ignoring calls that go in their favour.

‘What’s the point of VAR?’

After the Pubill incident at Camp Nou, an exasperated Flick asked, “What’s the point of having VAR?”—a question that many in football have voiced recently.

Yet just four days earlier, Flick had no complaints when VAR in the La Liga match between Barca and Atletico at the Metropolitano, Mario Melero Lopez, asked referee Mateo Busquets Ferrer to review his red card to Gerard Martin for a foul on Thiago Almada.

Busquets Ferrer downgraded the red to a yellow—an intervention later ruled incorrect by the CTA, which said the original decision should have stood.

That call proved pivotal in the title race, as it helped Barcelona secure a win that extended their lead over Real Madrid to seven points (now nine). Yet, despite benefiting from VAR then, Barcelona’s legal team was quick to act after the Champions League loss to Atletico.

It was not a good look for the club, reinforcing their image as poor losers—a shame, given how admired they are for their footballing philosophy.

Put up or shut up

Barcelona’s identity is rooted in Johan Cruyff’s teachings, focusing on technical excellence and tactical intelligence. Their academy has consistently produced exceptional talent, and their willingness to trust young players remains a proud hallmark of the club.

Even by their lofty standards, Lamine Yamal stands out as extraordinary—a Lionel Messi-like talent doing unprecedented things in La Liga and the Champions League at just 18. He epitomises the promise of a squad filled with La Masia graduates.

However, there’s a growing sense that this team believes too much in its own hype, which may explain their frequent emotional outbursts after losses. The possibility that they may not yet be good enough to win the Champions League doesn’t seem to occur to them.

Before facing Paris Saint-Germain last October, Barcelona were calling themselves Europe’s best team—only to be humbled by the reigning champions.

Flick’s team’s quality is unquestionable—they’re close to a second straight La Liga title—but concerns remain about their mentality. Cubarsi’s red card against Atletico was their fifth in two seasons under Flick, and the lack of introspection afterward is troubling.

Barcelona keep looking for scapegoats instead of addressing why they’ve fallen short in Europe. Flick’s risky high defensive line is one factor, but not the only one.

Still, Tuesday’s trip to the Metropolitano offers a golden chance to prove themselves. Overturning a 2-0 deficit away to Atletico would be historic—and players like Ferran Torres are confident, even promising a ‘remontada’ after their 4-1 derby win over Espanyol.

But now, Barcelona must back their words with actions. Enough of the post-match complaints and legal battles—it’s time for Lamine Yamal and company to make their statement on the pitch, not in the courtroom.