Khaberni - FC Barcelona issued an official statement attacking the German referee Stefan Kovac for his controversial decisions in the match that the team lost to Atletico Madrid by two goals to nil on Wednesday in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals, a competition in which it was said that referees’ decisions have caused a lot of damage to the team in its recent editions.
Barcelona wrote on its official website: The legal management has submitted an official complaint to the Union of European Football Associations "UEFA" about the incidents of the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal against Atletico Madrid, as the club believes that the referee's performance was not in accordance with the regulations, directly affecting the course and outcome of the match.
The Catalan club added: In the 54th minute of the match, a player from the opposing team touched the ball with his hand inside the penalty area, yet no penalty was awarded and this decision along with the clear failure of the video assistant referee to intervene constitutes a serious error. The club requests an investigation and access to the referee team’s communication and official acknowledgment of the error if necessary.
To conclude: Barcelona believes that this is not the first time that incomprehensible refereeing decisions in recent editions of the UEFA Champions League have caused significant damage to the team, preventing it from competing fairly with other teams.
