Barcelona have launched a scathing attack on referee Szymon Marciniak following their agonizing Champions League semi-final defeat against Inter Milan. The Catalan giants saw their hopes of reaching the final dashed in a dramatic and controversial clash at the San Siro.
Despite a late strike from Raphinha in the 87th minute that appeared to have secured their passage to the final, Barcelona conceded a 93rd-minute equalizer from Francesco Acerbi, leveling the tie at 3-3 on the night and 6-6 on aggregate, forcing extra time where Inter ultimately prevailed.
The tense encounter was marred by several contentious decisions from Polish referee Marciniak, who became the focal point of Barcelona’s post-match anger.
Marciniak initially awarded Inter a penalty after a VAR review deemed Pau Cubarsi to have fouled Lautaro Martinez. Later in the game, a Barcelona penalty appeal for a foul on Lamine Yamal was controversially downgraded to a free-kick, with the foul deemed to have occurred just outside the penalty area. Barcelona’s bench was further incensed when Henrikh Mkhitaryan avoided a second yellow card for the foul.
The fury of the Barcelona players and staff intensified after Inter’s late equalizer. They argued vehemently that Denzel Dumfries had fouled Gerard Martin in the build-up to Acerbi’s goal. Manager Hansi Flick and substitute Pau Victor were both shown yellow cards amidst the touchline chaos as frustrations boiled over after the final whistle.
Midfielder Pedri did not mince his words when addressing the referee’s performance. “This isn’t the first time we’ve had issues with this referee,” he stated. “UEFA needs to take a closer look. Every 50/50 call seemed to go their way.” His strong criticism echoed the sentiments of many within the Barcelona camp, suggesting a pattern of unfavorable decisions from Marciniak in their matches.
