FC Barcelona’s defeat to Atlético de Madrid has left a deep wound, not only because of the result, but also due to the refereeing controversy. At the end of the match, Hansi Flick did not hide his frustration over a handball by Marc Pubill in the box that was not punished. “It’s a penalty and a sending-off for a second yellow,” the German coach stated, visibly upset by the video assistant referee’s inaction.
Criticism of the refereeing
Flick strongly questioned the usefulness of technology in plays he considers obvious. “What is VAR for if it already exists?” he asked, stressing that he cannot understand how an incident of that magnitude went unnoticed. He even made an ironic remark about the nationality of the VAR official: “He was German, thanks to Germany.”
Focus on the comeback
Despite the “telling-off,” the coach urged his squad to turn the page quickly. Although he described the mistake as decisive, Flick said the team must focus on the second leg. “We have quality and we have to fight,” he concluded, appealing to Barça’s spirit in an attempt to turn the tie around next Tuesday.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.
