'The game was robbed' - Raphinha blasts referee after Barcelona's UCL exit

Brazilian winger Raphinha has accused French referee Clément Turpin of denying Barcelona a place in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals through unfair officiating.

Barcelona were knocked out 3–2 on aggregate by Atlético Madrid at the Wanda Metropolitano after a tense, cagey contest in which the Catalans had to play with ten men.

After the game, referee Clément Turpin was at the center of backlash from Barcelona fans, who accused him of bias.

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They argued that most 50/50 challenges were awarded to the home side and claimed that certain fouls against Barcelona were ignored, while those in favor of Atletico Madrid were not.

Raphinha, who missed the game due to injury, joined the critics, accusing Turpin of “robbing” Barcelona and being the reason for their exit.

He fumed that many of Atletico Madrid’s fouls went unchecked, disrupting Barcelona’s rhythm, and that their players were not cautioned.

“The game was completely robbed. The referee had a lot of problems. Some of the decisions he took were incredible. I don’t know how many fouls Atlético made, and he didn’t book them,” he added.

Barcelona are still chasing their 6th UEFA Champions League trophy after winning their 5th in 2015.

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