Barcelona midfielder, Pedri, has urged UEFA to investigate the officiating in their 4-3 defeat to Inter Milan in the Champions League semi-final second leg at San Siro.
Despite Raphinha seemingly securing victory for Barcelona with a goal in the 87th minute, a late equaliser from Francesco Acerbi and an extra-time strike from Davide Frattesi led to Inter Milan advancing with a 7-6 aggregate win.
“It’s not the first time we’ve experienced challenges with this referee; I believe it’s important for UEFA to investigate,” Pedri told reporters. “There were numerous key decisions that seemed to favor the other side, and some calls were difficult to comprehend.”
When asked for clarification, Pedri pointed out, “Take the situation with Lamine [Yamal] where a penalty was initially awarded but then changed to a free kick. Additionally, there was no second booking for [Henrikh] Mkhitaryan, which could have altered the dynamics of the match.”
The match was officiated by Szymon Marciniak, who previously refereed the 2022 World Cup final and also the group stage clash between Barça and Inter that ended in a 3-3 draw, a result that ultimately impacted Barcelona’s chances.
Barcelona defender Eric Garcia also voiced his concerns regarding the video assistant referee and match officials following their Champions League exit.
“I believe we were the stronger side and should take pride in our efforts,” Garcia stated in a post-match interview.
He specifically criticized referees Dennis Hingler and Pol van Boekel for not making accurate decisions during the match. The former Manchester City defender said, “Football has been very cruel to us. I don’t know what it is about this stadium. I’ve been here three times, and it’s never gone our way.
“We all know what happened with this referee last time. We have to be proud. No one believed in us; they said it was a transition year, that we were very young, and in the end, look at all this.”
Barcelona will now shift their attention to pursuing the La Liga title, where they currently hold a four-point lead over rivals Real Madrid, who have also been eliminated from the Champions League.
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