Thrashed 4-0 by Atlético de Madrid in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final, FC Barcelona experienced a true disaster. Struggling with a shaky defense, the Catalan club still pointed fingers at some refereeing decisions at the final whistle, just like Hansi Flick, who unleashed a furious tirade.
As the defending champions, FC Barcelona likely saw their hopes of retaining the Copa del Rey vanish. On Thursday night, the Culers completely collapsed against Atlético de Madrid (0-4), a rout that was already sealed by halftime. Overwhelmed defensively, the Blaugranas were battered by Madrid’s waves and headed to the locker room with a damning scoreline. After the break, Barça tried to respond, but they couldn’t really change the momentum.
More cohesive as a unit and more dangerous in the final third, the current La Liga leaders thought they had reduced the deficit with an opportunistic strike from Pau Cubarsí. But after a lengthy review, the referee disallowed the goal for offside. The incident immediately ignited social media. During the match, the Comité Técnico de Árbitros (CTA) even released a statement, acknowledging a technical issue with the semi-automatic system.
Barça Slams Refereeing Again
In its explanation, the CTA mentioned a modeling error with the players: the software failed to process the image correctly due to the high density in the box. Despite several attempts to recalibrate from the VAR room, it was deemed impossible to restore normal operation of the system.
Is that enough to end the controversy? Not really. At the final whistle, Eric García let his anger fly, pointing out the confusion surrounding the decision and other contentious moments. The Barcelona defender believed that a tackle by Giuliano on Baldé deserved a red card, while also reflecting on his own intervention at the end of the match.
And what about Hansi Flick‘s outburst? Furious, the FC Barcelona coach condemned the “catastrophic” refereeing, lamenting the lack of clear communication and the excessive time spent on the incident. Another controversy leaves Barça with their backs against the wall as they prepare to host Atlético de Madrid on March 3.
