"Our Champions League is over due to referee’s mistake" - Xavi makes massive claim as Barcelona lose to PSG in the UCL QF
Barcelona manager Xavi has come down heavily on officiating errors for his side's elimination from the UEFA Champions League. Barcelona lost 1-4 against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the second leg of the quarter-finals at their home ground on Tuesday (April 16),.
After Brazilian winger Raphinha opened the scoring for the Blaugrana in the 12th minute, the referee showed a straight red card to Uruguayan defender Ronald Araújo (29'). VAR confirmed the decision and he had to exit the field, leaving the home side with 10 players.
Catalan boss Xavi Hernández himself received a red card in the second half after he protested the decision of the on-field referee and VAR to not grant a penalty for Ilkay Gündogan, who was fouled. Barcelona's goalkeeper coach Jose Ramon de la Fuente was also sent off.
Speaking about the decisions of the referee that the former Barcelona midfielder did not approve of, Xavi said (via journalist Fabrizio Romano's X):
“It’s a pity, our Champions League is over due to referee’s mistake. I just told the referee that he’s been a disaster. It’s the reality."
Ousmane Dembélé, who played for the Blaugrana from 2017 to 2023, netted a goal for PSG in the 40th minute, followed by Vitinha in the 54th.
In the 59th minute, the Ligue 1 club was awarded a penalty after Barca's João Cancelo tackled Dembélé. Kylian Mbappe successfully converted the spot kick and followed it up by scoring again in the 89th minute of the match.
Ousmane Dembélé faced backlash from fans for scoring against Barcelona in the first leg
On April 10, Barcelona faced Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League, which ended in a 3-2 win for the Catalans.
Raphinha scored two goals, one in each half, while PSG's Vitinha netted in the 51st minute. Andreas Christensen scored the winning goal in the 77th minute for Barca.
Ousmane Dembélé netted a goal against his former club in the 48th minute and celebrated, which angered the Blaugrana fans.
The Catalans are second on the La Liga table with 70 points in 31 matches. They face arch-rivals and table-toppers Real Madrid next in the league on Sunday (April 21).