Barcelona Star Raphinha Blasts Referee After Champions League Defeat
Raphinha blasts referees in Champions League aftermath. Barcelona stars claim lost tie due to ‘stolen’ second leg and unfair refereeing decisions.
Raphinha, missing Barcelona's UCL match due to injury but still with the squad for support, vented his frustration on the sidelines. The winger, speaking directly to the media after a loss at the hands of Atletico Madrid in the knockout stages of the Champions League, expressed deep dissatisfaction with refereeing decisions. “Raphinha says it’s a stolen match,” said another player who wished to remain anonymous.
“Barcelona played well and deserve better than this second leg defeat. The referee made some mistakes that cost us the tie. ” Gavi, a young midfielder focusing on football rather than politics, agreed with Raphinha’s assessment.
“We were better in most aspects of the game, but it was the ball that got away from us,” he added. While acknowledging Barcelona's overall performance, Gavi pointed out one key incident—the sending-off of Eric Garcia—shifting momentum against them. The young player also expressed doubt about how a red card for Eric Garcia should have been handled by the referee, suggesting it may have affected the match negatively.
The source: Mundo Deportivo.