Barcelona faced a humiliating 4-0 defeat against Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey semi-final, with the match drawing significant post-game controversy surrounding both refereeing decisions and a prolonged VAR check. Head coach Hansi Flick expressed strong disapproval of the officiating, accusing the referee of creating a game dynamic that favored Atletico Madrid's aggressive playstyle.

Speaking after the match, Flick lamented the referee's leniency, stating, "The referee INVITED Atletico to play like this. He was not giving them yellow cards for kicking them around." He further added, "We start since the very first action of the game. ZERO consequences for them. This is so bad here; the refereeing is SO BAD here!" Barcelona's complaints included Eric Garcia’s sending off, a possible red card that Pablo Barrios avoided, and Pau Cubarsi’s goal which was controversially disallowed after an abnormally long VAR check.

Flick's criticism of the referee drew parallels to the complaints made by fans of the Super Eagles after their AFCON semi-final defeat against Morocco. In that match, many fans and analysts similarly blamed the Ghanaian official Daniel Laryea’s leniency on Moroccan aggression for creating an atmosphere that helped the Atlas Lions’ playstyle thrive, much like Flick perceived the referee's actions to have aided Atletico.

Adding to Barcelona's frustration was the controversial disallowance of Pau Cubarsi's goal early in the second half. The goal was ruled out after an eight-minute VAR review, which, according to the Referee’s Committee (CTA), was caused by a malfunction in the semi-automatic offside system. The high density of players in the box reportedly prevented the technology from drawing the offside lines, forcing VAR official Pablo Gonzalez to manually assess the images. The CTA insisted the decision was correct, stating that Robert Lewandowski’s touch sent the ball forward, placing Cubarsi beyond the last defensive line.

Despite the CTA's explanation, Barcelona strongly disagreed with the decision and vowed to file an official complaint with the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF). Captain Frenkie de Jong voiced his disbelief, saying, “In the offside image we don’t see the contact with the ball, when Fermín López shoots. Later there’s another image and it’s clearly seen that the defender is one meter behind Robert Lewandowski. Very strange, a scandal…”

In the match itself, Ademola Lookman was a standout performer for Atletico Madrid, delivering a sensational display that included a goal, an assist, and forcing an own goal. Further strikes from Antoine Griezmann and Julian Alvarez, coupled with an own goal from Eric Garcia (who was later sent off), secured a comprehensive 4-0 first-leg advantage for Diego Simeone’s side. Barcelona will now need to regroup and overcome this significant deficit in the second leg at Spotify Camp Nou on March 3rd to defend their Copa del Rey crown.