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UEFA Rejects Barcelona Complaint Over Atletico Referee Decision

Published

1 week ago

April 14, 2026

Barcelona refereeing complaint rejected by UEFA after protest over controversial Champions League decision in Atletico Madrid clash

The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has declared a formal complaint lodged by FC Barcelona “inadmissible” following controversy over refereeing decisions in their UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg against Atletico Madrid.

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The complaint rejected ruling follows a protest submitted by the Catalan club over decisions made during the match played at the Spotify Camp Nou on April 8, 2026.

Barcelona had raised concerns over an incident involving Atletico defender Marc Pubill, who was accused of handling the ball inside the penalty area after a pass from goalkeeper Juan Musso.

The club argued that the incident should have resulted in a penalty kick and a second yellow card for the Atletico player.

Officials, however, maintained that the ball was not in active play at the time of the incident, a position also supported by Atletico Madrid.

Following the match, Barcelona formally requested clarification on the refereeing decisions and access to communication recordings between the match officials and the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).

In a statement released on April 13, 2026, UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body confirmed that the protest had been dismissed.

“Following the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-final, played on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, between FC Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, FC Barcelona lodged a protest concerning a refereeing decision,” the statement read.

“On April 13, 2026, the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body declared the protest inadmissible.”

Barcelona complaint rejected decision means the result of the match and refereeing interpretations will stand as originally recorded, with no further review initiated by UEFA.