Xavi Criticizes Referee's Performance in Barcelona's Champions League Defeat to Paris Saint-Germain

Barcelona manager Xavi attributed his team's Champions League elimination to Paris Saint-Germain to referee István Kovács. He criticized Kovács' performance in Tuesday's quarterfinal second leg, calling it a "disaster."

Leading 3-2 after a thrilling first leg in Paris, Barcelona initially took the lead. However, they ended up losing 4-1 on the night and 6-4 on aggregate due to Ronald Araújo's first-half red card, which altered the course of the match.

Barcelona seemed to be heading towards the semifinals after Raphinha scored early on with a close-range shot following a great play by teenager Lamine Yamal.

But the game took a turn when Barcelona's defender Araújo was given a straight red card for fouling Bradley Barcola as he was approaching the goal.

It was definitely a controversial decision as Araújo barely touched Barcola before the French player dramatically fell to the ground. This incident led to a series of 12 cards being shown by Kovács, including three red cards, indicating that the Romanian referee struggled to maintain control of the match that night.

PSG made its numerical advantage count five minutes before the break as former Barça man Ousmane Dembélé silenced the home crowd with a goal into the roof of the net.

Xavi was shown a red card in the second half.

Xavi was shown a red card in the second half.

Hugo Pfeiffer/Icon Sport/Getty Images

Vitinha scored a brilliant low strike early in the second half to level the tie. This was followed by two goals from Kylian Mbappé, with the first being a penalty after João Cancelo fouled Dembélé. As a result, PSG advanced to the semifinals for the third time in five seasons.

Xavi expressed his frustration, stating, "We are annoyed. The red card changed the game. We were well organized with 11 players on the field. It completely altered the outcome. In my opinion, it was too harsh to send Araújo off in that situation."

The referee had a tough day. I told him he didn't do well. It had a big impact on the game. I usually don't like to talk about referees, but this time it's necessary. I don't get it. It's never good to play with 10 players, and the game changes completely from that moment. The red card really changed everything.

We had a chance to score and level the game with Ilkay Gündogan hitting the post. We could have even scored a second goal before the red card with Robert Lewandowski's shot that just missed. It's disappointing that the hard work of the whole season comes down to one decision made by the referee. I wish the game could have been 11 vs. 11 the entire time. It was an unfair red card," mentioned Xavi, who will be leaving at the end of the season.

Kovács was very eager to show off and make his presence known by showing a card whenever he could, like giving a red card to Xavi and the goalkeeping coach José Ramón de la Fuente in the second half.

PSG manager Luis Enrique, who had successful stints at Barcelona as a player and manager, believed that his team would have won the game even without Araújo being sent off.

Enrique achieved a remarkable feat with Barcelona in the 2014-15 season by winning a historic treble as the team's manager. He also led the Barça squad in a memorable Champions League comeback against PSG in 2017.

Kylian Mbappé's two goals sealed victory for PSG.

Juan Medina/Reuters

“We had a great start to the game and it was amazing when they scored, thanks to a brilliant play by Lamine Yamal,” Enrique mentioned. “Just like the previous match, we didn't deserve to lose last week and we definitely didn't deserve to be trailing tonight.

However, the players showed exceptional faith and belief. This helped us to gradually improve our performance throughout the game. Despite the red card being a setback, it was crucial for us to remain composed and avoid making errors.

I truly believe that even without the red card, we would have still won the game, but I can't provide evidence to support my claim.

PSG is set to face Borussia Dortmund in their quest for a spot in the Champions League final. The German team made a remarkable comeback against Atlético Madrid, overturning a 2-1 first-leg deficit with a 4-2 victory at home on Tuesday.

Editor's P/S:

Barcelona's elimination from the Champions League has sparked controversy, with manager Xavi blaming referee István Kovács for the outcome. Xavi's criticism of Kovács' performance, calling it a "disaster," highlights the significant impact referees can have on the course of a match. The red card issued to Ronald Araújo, which altered the game's trajectory, has raised questions about the consistency and fairness of officiating in high-stakes matches.

The incident also underscores the delicate balance between maintaining control of a match and allowing players to compete aggressively. While referees have the responsibility to protect players from dangerous tackles, they must also avoid making decisions that unduly punish teams or alter the outcome of the game. The 12 cards issued by Kovács, including three red cards, indicate a lack of consistency in his decision-making, further fueling the debate about the role of referees in modern football.