FC Barcelona announced in an official statement that it has filed a formal complaint regarding the refereeing performance during its 4-0 defeat against Atlético Madrid.
Barça suffered a heavy 4-0 loss to Atlético on Thursday evening in the first leg of the Copa del Rey, a match that saw a controversial goal by Pau Coparci disallowed, while a potential red card for Giuliano Simeone was overlooked for a foul.
Following the match, reports indicated frustration and anger among coach Hansi Flick and the club’s management regarding the refereeing decisions, which has now translated into formal action by sending a letter of complaint to the Spanish Football Federation.
The statement reads: “FC Barcelona announces that it sent a formal letter this Saturday, February 14, to the Royal Spanish Football Federation, addressed to the President of the Federation, the President of the Technical Committee of Referees, the Head of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) Unit, and the Director of Legal Advice, in which the club expresses its deep concern regarding the repeated inconsistencies in the application of the rules.”
In its statement, the Catalan club highlighted five key points of concern regarding the refereeing system: inconsistency in disciplinary standards, conflicting criteria for handball decisions, the accumulation of impactful errors, the mechanisms for implementing and ensuring the transparency of VAR technology, and the criteria used when reviewing footage on the pitch-side monitor.
The statement continued, “The club wishes to clarify that this initiative is not intended to question the professionalism of the refereeing body, but rather to demand an urgent review of the applied criteria in order to guarantee: the credibility and integrity of the competitions, uniformity of standards in refereeing decisions, and equal treatment for all clubs.”
Furthermore, Barcelona called for the full release of all audio recordings from the VAR room, regardless of whether the footage was reviewed on the pitch or not, as a fundamental measure to enhance transparency.
