Barcelona were eliminated 7-6 on aggregate by Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League semi-final, in an encounter that will live long in the memory.
For the Blaugrana though, the bitter feeling extended beyond just their elimination and towards the officials.
After the match, referee Szymon Marciniak’s performance was under heavy scrutiny, with several big calls going Inter’s way.
The context behind Barcelona’s frustration with the Polish official is that Marciniak was also in charge during a crucial draw at the Giuseppe Meazza two years ago, missing a clear handball from Denzel Dumfries in the penalty box.
“This isn’t the first time this has happened to us with this referee. UEFA should look into it. There are things I don’t understand and they are complicated,” Pedri told Marca after the match.
“For me, the penalty call on Lamine, he has to send off Mkhitaryan, who already had a yellow card. But there are a lot of decisions.”
Meanwhile Eric Garcia was the player required to give his post-match reaction on the pitch immediately after the final whistle, and he also had sour memories of Marciniak.
“I don’t know what’s wrong with this stadium. I’ve been here three times, and for one reason or another, or because of something beyond our control, things haven’t gone our way. We all know what happened with this referee the last time we came here.”
Fellow defender Inigo Martinez was also unimpressed with what he saw from the officials.
“Everyone saw today that the decisions always went the same way. Although we don’t want to blame him. We hold our heads high.”
While Ronald Araujo claimed there was a foul in the build-up to Inter’s equaliser in stoppage time. He was asked whether the referee had anything to do with the result.
“I think so. In the 3-3 play, it was a foul on Gerard Martín; he went for the ball and was not allowed to contest it. But we shouldn’t make excuses; we have to keep our heads up. This team has a direct mentality and is a generation that will surely win many Champions Leagues.”
However Wojciech Szczesny was unwilling to criticise his compatriot after defeat to Inter, as he told Canal+ Poland, and was cited by Sport.
“I know that in the event of a defeat, people usually talk about the referee’s performance, but I don’t intend to cling to that. There’s no need to make excuses. Things will be discussed, but it’s not worth going down that path.”
“It was close, and I honestly thought there was no penalty at all,” he noted on the decision to give a penalty against Pau Cubarsi.
“But apparently Pau didn’t touch the ball, so a penalty was awarded. It was a quick decision, and that’s how it was decided. There’s nothing more to say.”
Manager Hansi Flick has tended to steer clear of refereeing controversies this season, asking people in Spain to support the officials. However he also felt wronged by Marciniak, complaining about the marginal calls, and receiving a yellow card for his troubles during the game.
Football Espana
