Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez says his team failed to reach the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League due to wrong referee decisions on the day.
The Catalans lost 4-1 at the Olympic Stadium to PSG, crashing out of the competition 6-4 on aggregate.
Barcelona took the lead after 12 minutes from a Raphinha finish off a well-worked Lamine Yamal cross and had a two-goal led in the tie.
However, things changed when Ronald Araujo was sent off for a foul on Bradley Bracola after 29 minutes, and Barca began to lose control from that moment, conceding four goals later on in the game at the Olympic stadium.
Speaking to the press after Barcelona’s defeat, Xavi expressed his dissatisfaction with the refereeing on the day, counting it as crucial in the Blaugrana’s loss at home.
“It’s a pity, our Champions League is over due to the referee’s mistake. I just told the referee that he’s been a disaster. It’s the reality”, he said.
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Not only Ronald Araujo was sent off. Xavi also found himself booked for dissent after 56 minutes of action, and Kylian Mbappe then went on to secure a semi-final slot for Paris with a brace in the tie.
Barcelona have not only blown an opportunity to reach the last four of the competition for the first time in five seasons in the Champions League, but they have also conceded four goals to PSG, the team that eliminated them the last time they played in the competition’s knockout phase.
The Catalans have a huge game up next in the upcoming El Classico, and Xavi and his boys have a lot to do to bounce back from this defeat if they want to increase their chances of competing for La Liga.