In the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final, Atlético Madrid defeated Barcelona 2–0, but the match was overshadowed by a controversial handball involving an Atlético defender. It has now become clear why neither a penalty nor a red card was awarded.
Details: According to Josep Soldado, confusion broke out in the VAR room during the handball incident. The officials failed to grasp the situation and assumed that Barcelona players were protesting over Atlético’s time-wasting rather than the handball itself. As a result, VAR did not alert the referee to what required closer attention.
As previously reported, after Atlético’s goalkeeper restarted play with a goal kick, his teammate clearly handled the ball inside the penalty area, effectively stopping its movement. However, the referee ignored the incident.
Reminder: Following the match, Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick commented on the officiating in the game against Atlético.
