‘It’s a disgrace, intolerable’ – Joan Laporta lets rip after Barcelona’s Champions League exit

MADRID, SPAIN - APRIL 13: Joan Laporta, President of FC Barcelona, is seen during the FC Barcelona Training Session ahead of the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Quarter-Final Second Leg match against Atletico de Madrid at Estadio Riyadh Air Metropolitano on April 13, 2026 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Alberto Gardin/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Barcelona president-elect Joan Laporta has let rip at the match officials in the wake of the team’s Champions League exit at the hands of Atletico Madrid.

Raphinha has already blasted the refereeing, claiming Barca were robbed, and Laporta has now added his thoughts on the game.

“First of all, I want to congratulate our opponents, but yesterday’s refereeing, both by the referee and VAR, was a disgrace,” he told reporters.

“What they did to us is intolerable. In the first leg, they already awarded us a clear penalty and sent off one of our players when it was a yellow card because Giuliano didn’t have the ball under control.

“The refereeing decisions have hurt us a lot. Eric wasn’t the last man because Koundé could have reached the ball. The referee showed the yellow card, which was the correct thing to do, and the VAR referee made him change his mind. Ferran’s goal was a goal. The penalty on Olmo was a penalty. The foul on Fermín was intolerable. Fermín’s face was cut open. Not even a card…”

Laporta also said Barca will file another complaint to UEFA. The Catalans submitted a complaint after the first leg regarding a potential penalty by Marc Pubill but it was subsequently dismissed as “inadmissable” – a decision which did not go down well with Laporta.

“It’s not acceptable to file a complaint, and the response was that it wasn’t acceptable. What Barça is doing is asking for explanations as to why the complaint wasn’t acceptable. Yuste told me they will file another one. It’s a disgrace, intolerable,” he added.

“To say that referees favor Barça is shameless. They only have to look at this Champions League tie. It’s a disgrace.”