FC Barcelona wrapped up its run in the Champions League after a loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the quarterfinals. The vibe at Barça is that there were some controversial calls during the match that didn't go their way and instead favored the Parisian team. According to sources from the club, the performance of Romanian referee Istvan Kovacs in Montjuïc was not up to par and played a big role in the French team's comeback, who also got some help in the first leg at the Parc des Princes.
Vitinha's Lucky Break in the First Leg
The first controversial moment happened in Paris. Portuguese player Vitinha should have been sent off for a second yellow card, but English referee Anthony Taylor let him off the hook. Vitinha shouldn't have been on the field in Montjuïc and ended up scoring the crucial 1-2 goal.
Araujo's Harsh Red Card
The game-changer. At 1-0, Araujo was shown a straight red card after a minor tussle with Barcola, who exaggerated the contact to get the Uruguayan sent off. Barça believes it shouldn't have been a foul, a sentiment shared by many referees.
Missed Penalty on Gündogan
When the score was 1-3, Gündogan was brought down by Vitinha in the box, but the referee didn't award a penalty. Despite a VAR check, the referee stuck to his decision not to give the penalty and also booked Gündogan with a yellow card.
Inexperienced Referee
After the Englishman Anthony Taylor, a veteran in the Champions League, was chosen in the first leg in Paris, the referee designated for the second leg at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys was Istvan Kovacs. The Romanian had never whistled for Barça in the Champions League and the decisive plays all fell on the French side.
This content has been translated and adapted from the Spanish version of the digital newspaper