UEFA has confirmed it will formally review an official complaint filed by FC Barcelona regarding refereeing decisions in their recent Champions League quarter-final second leg against Paris Saint-Germain. The Catalan club’s protest centers on several key incidents during the match, which ended 4-1 in favor of PSG (6-4 on aggregate), leading to Barcelona’s elimination from the competition.
The complaint specifically highlights two major moments. The first is the red card shown to Barcelona defender Ronald Araújo in the 29th minute for a foul on Bradley Barcola, which the club argues was a harsh decision that drastically altered the game’s dynamics. The second focal point is a potential penalty incident involving Barcelona’s midfielder Ilkay Gündoğan and PSG’s Ousmane Dembélé in the PSG penalty area during the first half, which the match officials did not award.
In a statement, a UEFA spokesperson said, “We have received a formal complaint from FC Barcelona and will examine the submitted material in accordance with our standard procedures.” The governing body’s Control, Ethics, and Disciplinary Body is expected to lead the review process. However, UEFA sources have emphasized that the result of the match itself is final and cannot be overturned.
Legal experts familiar with UEFA’s statutes suggest that while the investigation is proceeding, the likely outcomes are limited. The most probable scenario is an official response from UEFA to Barcelona, clarifying the refereeing team’s decisions based on the match officials’ reports. In extreme cases, if a serious and obvious error is found in the application of the rules, UEFA could potentially take disciplinary action against the match officials involved, but this would not change the sporting result.
Barcelona’s official submission includes video evidence and a detailed report outlining their perspective on the contested calls. The club’s president, Joan Laporta, stated earlier this week, “We will go to the end with this. We want clarity and we want to ensure that such decisions are reviewed to protect the essence of football.” The outcome of UEFA’s investigation is anticipated in the coming weeks.
