FLASH
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Barcelona president Joan Laporta has reacted strongly to the refereeing in the Champions League quarter-final match against Atletico Madrid, where the Catalans were eliminated. Speaking during an event at a tennis tournament in Barcelona, Laporta initially congratulated his opponents on qualifying, but then exploded in criticism of the referees.
" Yesterday's refereeing, both on the pitch and in the VAR room, was a disgrace. What they did to us is intolerable. In the first match they didn't award us a clear penalty and punished our player with a red card for an action punishable by a yellow card ," declared Laporta.
The head of the Catalan club listed a series of episodes that, according to him, directly influenced the outcome of the match.
" Arbitrary decisions hurt us a lot. Erik Garcia was not the last defender because Kunde could have reached it. The referee initially gave him the yellow card he deserved, while the VAR referee forced him to change the decision. Ferran Torres' goal was legal, there was a penalty for Olmo, while the aggression against Fermin was intolerable. Fermin Lopez broke his face and no card ...", he said.
Laporta also expressed dissatisfaction with UEFA's response to a previous complaint from the club.
" It is not unacceptable to file a complaint and the answer was that this request could not be accepted. What Barcelona is doing is seeking explanations as to why this complaint is not acceptable. Juste told me that they will file another complaint. It is a shame, intolerable ," he said.
The Barcelona president also reacted to rumors that the referees favor the Catalan club.
" They are brazen to say that the referees favor Barcelona. Just look at this Champions League quarter-final. It's a shame and no one believes it ," Laporta declared.
In conclusion, Laporta stressed that the team must leave the controversies behind and focus on the La Liga competition, where Barcelona leads by a considerable margin.
" Now we have to focus on La Liga. If we manage to win it, it will be a hard-earned title, and our second in a row. It is not easy, but we will fight for it. We have an important advantage of 9 points over second place and we hope to maintain this pace ," concluded Laporta.
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