Raphinha missed both legs of Barcelona’s UEFA Champions League quarter-final against Atlético Madrid due to injury. Although ruled out of the second leg at the Metropolitano Stadium, the Brazilian winger was present in the stands to support his teammates. Following Barcelona’s elimination, he strongly criticised the refereeing decisions across both matches.
Barcelona entered the second leg needing to overturn a 2–0 deficit from the first leg. The Catalan side made a strong start, scoring twice within the opening 24 minutes through Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres. However, Atlético Madrid responded in the 31st minute with a goal from Ademola Lookman, restoring balance in the tie.
The match turned further against Barcelona in the 79th minute when defender Eric García received a red card. Despite this setback, Barcelona went on to win the second leg 2–1. However, the aggregate score of 3–2 in favour of Atlético Madrid meant Barcelona were eliminated from the competition.
The first leg had also been difficult for Barcelona, as they finished the match with ten men following a red card for Pau Cubarsí in the 44th minute. That match was officiated by István Kovács, while the second leg was refereed by Clément Turpin. Raphinha raised concerns over refereeing performances in both fixtures.
Speaking about the second leg, Raphinha said the match was “completely robbed” and claimed that several refereeing decisions were “incredible” and difficult to understand. He also stated that Atlético Madrid committed multiple fouls without receiving yellow cards.
Barcelona also appealed for a penalty in the first half after Dani Olmo was fouled, but the referee did not award it. Raphinha did not refer to a single incident only, but expressed broader dissatisfaction with the overall officiating in the match.
He also referred to the first leg, saying that in his view similar problems had occurred in both matches. He stated that refereeing standards were “very poor” and questioned why Barcelona’s chances of winning appeared to generate concern.
Barcelona had previously lodged an official complaint with UEFA regarding incidents in the first leg, including a denied penalty and the absence of a red card for Atlético’s Marc Pubill. UEFA later rejected the complaint, describing it as “inadmissible”.
Raphinha further said that while human error can happen once, repeating the same issues in consecutive matches was unacceptable. He added that Barcelona had played good football but felt the result had been taken away from them.
Despite their elimination, Barcelona registered 15 shots in the second leg, with 8 on target, showing strong attacking intent. Head coach Hansi Flick praised the team’s performance, particularly in the first half, stating that they created enough chances to score more goals.
Match Summary
| Item | Details |
| Competition | UEFA Champions League Quarter-final |
| First Leg | Atlético Madrid 2–0 Barcelona |
| Second Leg | Barcelona 2–1 Atlético Madrid |
| Aggregate | Atlético Madrid 3–2 Barcelona |
| First Leg Red Card | Pau Cubarsí (44th minute) |
| Second Leg Red Card | Eric García (79th minute) |
| First Leg Referee | István Kovács |
| Second Leg Referee | Clément Turpin |
Hansi Flick said Barcelona’s display showed quality and attacking intent, especially in the first half of the second leg, but admitted that missed chances proved costly. He added that although elimination was disappointing, he was proud of the players’ mentality.
Looking ahead, Flick confirmed that Barcelona’s focus now shifts to La Liga. The team remains top of the table with a nine-point lead and seven matches remaining. He stressed that while they are on the right path, the season is still ongoing and consistency will be essential in the remaining fixtures.