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Fuming Raphinha: Barcelona 'robbed' in UCL exit
TL;DR
Raphinha expressed anger over Barcelona's elimination from the Champions League after a 3-2 aggregate loss to Atlético Madrid, despite winning 2-1 in the second leg. He criticized the referee's decisions, claiming the game was 'robbed' from his team.
Raphinha raged that Barcelona were "robbed" after watching his teammates get eliminated from the Champions League by Atlético Madrid on Tuesday.
The Brazilian missed the game through injury but travelled to Madrid to see Barça exit the competition at the quarterfinal stage 3-2 on aggregate despite winning 2-1 on the night at the Metropolitano.
Early goals from Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres had drawn Barça level in the tie, but Ademola Lookman's strike ensured Atlético set up a semifinal meeting with either Arsenal or Sporting Club.
Barça's hopes of forcing extra time disappeared late on when Eric GarcĂa was sent off for a last man challenge on Alexander SĂžrloth, leaving Raphinha fuming with the referee.
"The game was completely robbed," he told reporters. "The referee had a lot of problems. Some of the decisions he took were incredible. I don't know how many fouls Atlético made and he didn't book them."
Barça had appealed for a penalty when Dani Olmo was fouled in the first half, but Raphinha did not reference any one decision.
It marks the second game running Barça have been angered by the match officials in the Champions League, with the club filing an official complaint with UEFA over the failure to award them a penalty and send Marc Pubill off last week.
UEFA ruled that the protest was "inadmissible" earlier on Tuesday.
"It's human to commit one error, but for it to happen again in another game?" Raphinha continued. "We played really well, but this tie was robbed from us.
"It was tough, especially when we see that we need to put in three times the effort to win the match. I really want to understand why [the referee] is so scared of Barça getting through the tie."
After losing the first leg 2-0 at Spotify Camp Nou last week, Barça set about turning things around quickly at the Metropolitano.
However, despite ending the tie with more shots on target (15 to 8) and a higher xG (3.38 to 2.08) than Atlético, they exited the competition, with coach Hansi Flick claiming they deserved to progress.
"We played a fantastic first half tonight," he said in a news conference. "We had to score more goals. Of course it was possible [to score more].
"When you see both matches, we deserve to be in the semifinal. But we have to accept it. The mentality, the attitude the players show on the pitch, I am proud about that."
Barça were also knocked out of the Copa del Rey by Atlético last month, but their season is not over. They won the Spanish Supercopa in January and are nine points clear at the top of LaLiga with seven fixtures to play. "The next step is to win LaLiga," Flick added. "We are on the way. It's not done yet. We have more games and we have to do like this today.
"Of course we are disappointed right now. It's normal. It's a big dream to win the Champions League. We have to learn about the things we have to improve, but we have a young team and they can and will improve next season.
"I know it's disappointing for everyone; I am also disappointed. It's football, it's life. We have to come back."
Q&A
What were the key moments in the Barcelona vs Atlético Madrid Champions League match?
Key moments included early goals from Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres for Barcelona, but Atlético Madrid's Ademola Lookman scored the decisive goal, eliminating Barcelona from the competition.
Why did Raphinha say Barcelona was 'robbed' in their Champions League exit?
Raphinha claimed the referee made poor decisions throughout the match, failing to penalize Atlético Madrid for numerous fouls, which he believed affected the outcome.
What was the final score of the Barcelona vs Atlético Madrid match?
The final score of the match was 2-1 in favor of Barcelona, but Atlético Madrid advanced with a 3-2 aggregate score.
How did Eric GarcĂa's red card impact the match for Barcelona?
Eric GarcĂa's red card for a last man challenge late in the game diminished Barcelona's chances of equalizing and forcing extra time, contributing to their elimination.
