UEFA's stance on Barcelona's complaint regarding refereeing revealed

UEFA is expected to rule soon on Barcelona’s protest over the refereeing in Wednesday’s Champions League quarter-final first leg against Atlético Madrid.

Barcelona lost the first leg 2-0 and is now preparing a formal complaint against the officiating.

According to the newspaper Sport, Barcelona is entitled to send a letter to UEFA formally objecting to the referee’s decisions, and the governing body will reply in due course.

The newspaper adds that UEFA will reply as a matter of “courtesy”, yet the response will not alter the result.

Regardless of Barcelona’s protest, UEFA routinely reviews referees’ performances through an observer at every match; in this case, San Marino’s Stefano Bodeschi will submit his assessment to the Referees’ Committee.

Since UEFA does not publish these assessments, the future of Romanian referee Kovac in the competition remains uncertain. Even if the report reflects poorly on Barcelona, he is unlikely to be entrusted with another Champions League fixture this term after already handling a quarter-final.

In the same vein, the newspaper ‘Sport’ contacted Cristian Zaroca, a specialist in sports law, to seek his opinion on the true scope of the protest report submitted by Barcelona.

Zaruca explained: “It is not a disciplinary measure, but merely an objection or complaint to express dissatisfaction with the referee’s performance.”

(Read also)... Refereeing expert cries out: What happened with Barcelona against Atlético is a scandal

In other words, Barcelona knows the red card shown to Kubarsi will not be reviewed, nor will the game be replayed.

Zarouka added that the protest is “a political move” designed to influence future refereeing assignments and committee decisions.

Ultimately, the club wants to log its protest to minimise the risk of similar decisions going against Flick’s side later in the campaign.

Zarouka also pointed out that “communication may be public, but telephone calls may also take place”, whilst warning that “Barcelona no longer wields the same influence or clout within UEFA as it has in recent years”.

Click here to read article