A Saudi replay reveals Barcelona were subjected to refereeing injustice in the Champions League
A controversial paradox
A controversial incident in the Roshn League has revealed how Barcelona were the victims of a refereeing injustice in the Champions League last season.
Spanish newspaper "Mundo Deportivo" said:"Romanian referee Istvan Kovacs, as a member of UEFA, is strictly applying the directives of UEFA's referees committee for this season, leaving no room for interpretation or the spirit of the game when it comes to handballs inside the penalty area once the ball has actually been put into play."
The paper flagged a glaring paradox. "Kovacs is the same referee who did not award a penalty against Marc Pubill on 8 April in the match between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, which ended in a two-goal-to-nil defeat for Barça in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final."
It continued: "In the 64th minute of the match between Al-Khaleej and Al-Hilal in the Roshn League, which ended in a 5-1 win for Al-Hilal, defender Kalidou Koulibaly stopped the ball with his hand after goalkeeper Yassine Bounou had put it into play with his foot."
The report went on: "The Senegalese defender thought he was the one who should start play, so he stopped the ball with his hand, and this time Istvan Kovacs did not hesitate, although he did not show Koulibaly a yellow card, and he awarded a penalty which Moussa Barrow ultimately squandered."
The incident mirrored the one that sparked so much controversy against Atletico Madrid, with Barça trailing by a single goal. Pubill had done exactly the same thing after his goalkeeper Juan Musso rolled the ball out with his foot.
Kovacs almost gave it. He took two steps towards the penalty area and lifted the whistle to his mouth, then backed off without blowing. Barcelona paid a heavy price. They could have equalised in a game that ended in a two-goal-to-nil defeat.
Roberto Rosetti, head of UEFA's referees committee, gave a presentation on Thursday at the Grimaldi Forum in Monte Carlo ahead of the Champions League draw, explaining why such an incident should be punished with a penalty. He said: "We needed to close this chapter. We do not want to attack the spirit of the game. We are tired of interpretations and this is how it will end. We need to be consistent and it does not matter whether there are other players nearby or not."
After that Atletico incident, Barcelona fired off an official complaint to European football's highest body. The Catalan club made their displeasure clear in a statement: "A refereeing performance contrary to the regulations in force, with a direct impact on the course of the match and its result."
Barcelona added in its statement: "The decision, along with the serious non-intervention of the video assistant referee technology, constitutes a grave error."
Barça demanded an investigation, access to the refereeing communications and, if necessary, an official acknowledgement of the errors along with appropriate measures. UEFA rejected the complaint.
