Barcelona star Rafinha could find himself in serious trouble after Barça’s Champions League exit at the hands of Atlético Madrid. The Brazilian player didn’t hold back his words after the 3-2 aggregate defeat at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium.
Rafinha had traveled to Madrid to support his teammates and was present at the stadium before the match, later joining the rest of the squad on the bench.
After the final whistle, Rafinha was seen making gestures towards the Atlético Madrid fans, seemingly indicating that their team would be eliminated from the semi-finals.
He didn’t stop there. Immediately after the match, he told the media in front of the cameras, “The game was stolen,” implying that the refereeing decisions went against Barcelona in both legs of the quarter-final. He reiterated his accusation that the referees were deliberately biased against the Catalan giants.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Rafinha could face punishment. The newspaper reported that UEFA could suspend him for up to three matches for violating the basic rules of conduct for players and bringing the sport into disrepute.
Neymar received a similar punishment in 2019 after criticizing officials following Paris Saint-Germain’s unexpected elimination against Manchester United. He also attacked UEFA and the refereeing.
Rafinha’s punishment might not end there, as his gestures towards Atlético Madrid fans could also lead to further sanctions.
Real Madrid players have previously been punished at the same stadium for similar actions towards fans. In that incident, Kylian Mbappé, Dani Ceballos, and Jude Bellingham were fined, while Antonio Rüdiger was suspended for making a throat-slitting gesture.
