SOCCER: Flick blasts refereeing as Simeone shrugs off controversy in Barca home defeat

BARCELONA – Barcelona manager Hansi Flick criticized the officiating following his team’s 2-0 home loss to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, expressing frustration over a second-half penalty decision and Pau Cubarsi’s red card, which left Barcelona a man down before halftime.

Flick’s anger focused on a 53rd-minute incident when Barcelona appealed for a penalty. Goalkeeper Juan Musso appeared to put the ball in play from a goal kick before defender Marc Pubill handled it inside the six-yard box, allowing Atletico to retake the goal kick. Referee Istvan Kovacs waved play on, and the VAR team did not intervene, prompting animated protests from the Barcelona bench.

“I don’t know why VAR hasn’t been used. The referee… I think he’s brilliant. We all make mistakes, but what’s the point of VAR? I just can’t understand it. It should have been a penalty, a second yellow, and a red card as he already had a booking. This is exactly what shouldn’t happen,” Flick told Spanish broadcaster Movistar Plus.

Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone offered a different perspective.

“It’s a matter of common sense,” Simeone said. “The referee saw it as it was. Marc received what appeared to be a pass from his teammate to start the move, and the referee saw it the same way as Marc did. Then we can look at as many situations as we like.”

Barcelona had already been reduced to 10 men in the 44th minute when Cubarsi was sent off for fouling Giuliano Simeone as the last defender. Julian Alvarez curled in the resulting free kick before halftime, and Alexander Sorloth secured Atletico’s win after the break.

Flick also questioned Cubarsi’s dismissal.

“I’m not sure if he made enough contact because the ball was behind him; I’m not entirely sure,” he said. “I don’t know. It might be, or it might not be. I don’t know if he touched him enough. But in other situations, when the ball is touched by the hand, it’s very clear to me.”

-Reporting by Fernando Kallas; Editing by Pritha Sarkar/Reuters