TThe Champions League quarter-final second leg continues to be a hot topic, especially because of Rafinha’s controversial comments after his team’s defeat to Atlético Madrid (3-2 on aggregate).
The Barcelona star publicly criticized VAR and referees for decisions taken during the match, which are currently under review and could face severe sanctions.
Stiff suspension faced by Rafinha
Despite not being able to play due to injury, the Brazilian said after the match that he was “stolen” by the decision made by referee Clement Turpin at the Metropolitano Stadium.
“This is a stolen game. It’s human to make mistakes, but to expect the same thing to happen in the second leg? We played very well, but they stole this draw from us,” Rafinha said. “The referee was full of problems. The decisions he made were unbelievable. I don’t know how many fouls Atltico committed, but the referee didn’t show a single yellow card. I really want to understand his concern that Barra might qualify,” he added.
However, according to Mundo Deportivo, UEFA could impose severe sanctions for his comments under Article 11 of the Disciplinary Regulations, citing “insulting behavior or behavior that violates basic standards of civility” or behavior that “brings the sport of football, and UEFA in particular, into disrepute”.
As a result, Rafinha will be suspended for three games from next season’s 2026/27 Champions League season and could miss the opening game of the competition.
There is precedent for this. One of them was Neymar, who was suspended for three games for an Instagram post criticizing the referee during the 2019 match between PSG and Manchester United, but CAS ultimately reduced his ban to two games.
In addition to this, he made a gesture towards the Atltico Madrid fans in anticipation of their team being eliminated in the next round. After the loss at Metropolitano, he apologized in an interview with DAZN, saying, “I am sorry for my actions, which do not reflect my values and character. It was a tense moment in response to fans who disrespected me.”
Nevertheless, he could be sanctioned by UEFA for gesturing towards the stands, as Digger, Mbapp and Ceballos have done previously.
In this regard, Rafinha’s case is now in the hands of UEFA, which must decide whether his words and actions merit punishment.
Meanwhile, Barcelona continues to struggle with the aftermath of a painful defeat in a tense environment that could have repercussions both on and off the field.
Barcelona’s next match will be against Celta de Vigo in La Liga, scheduled for Wednesday, April 22nd at the Spotify Camp Nou.
