Atletico Madrid star fires back at Barcelona captain over ‘robbery’ claim: ‘It is madness’

Atletico Madrid star fires back at Barcelona captain over ‘robbery’ claim: ‘It is madness’

The aftermath of Barcelona’s Champions League elimination continues to generate headlines, and this time, it is Juan Musso who has stepped forward to respond to the strong statements made by Raphinha.

Following the heated quarter-final tie against Atletico Madrid, Raphinha had labelled the result a “robbery”.

Now, Musso, who played a decisive role in Atletico’s progression, has responded to the Barcelona captain.

Addressing the accusations directly, the Argentine goalkeeper said,

“It seems as though there were three penalties they didn’t get, or four red cards. You can’t talk about a robbery,” he began.

Responding to Raphinha

While acknowledging the emotional nature of such statements, Musso said that he believes Atletico’s qualification was earned on the pitch rather than influenced by officiating.

“I understand what Raphinha is saying, I understand what anyone might say, I respect everyone’s opinion, but let’s not start talking about theft because it doesn’t help.

“We won on the pitch; we beat them 2-0 away. Last man, in football, is a red card, unfortunately,” he noted.

Musso has responded to Raphinha. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

The goalkeeper also took a moment to express his respect for Barcelona, stating that the story around the match has gone too far.

“Barça are a team we respect a lot and it really motivates us to play against them; they’re a great team, but to talk about a ‘robbery’ is madness.”

Collision with Fermin Lopez

One of the moments that fuelled Barcelona’s frustration came from a concerning collision involving Fermin Lopez.

The midfielder went down after falling onto Musso’s outstretched boot as the goalkeeper attempted to block the ball.

The impact left Fermin requiring medical attention for several minutes before he was able to continue, with replays highlighting the severity of the contact.

“It’s madness to try and pass this off as a robbery.

“If they’re asking for a penalty for the Fermin incident, it’s a challenge that pains me for him, because he got injured and I never want that.

“I went straight over to see how he was. It’s a challenge that happens, with his header and me stretching my leg to block it. How can anyone think that’s a penalty?”

Source: Mundo Deportivo