Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick has voiced strong criticism of Polish referee Szymon Marciniak following his team’s 4-3 defeat to Inter Milan in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final on Tuesday night.
Visibly disappointed after the loss at San Siro, the German manager accused the referee of favoring Inter with multiple contentious calls during the high-stakes clash. Goals from Lautaro Martinez, Hakan Calhanoglu, Eric Garcia, Dani Olmo, Raphinha, and Francesco Acerbi saw the match tied 3-3 at the end of regular time.
However, Davide Frattesi’s goal in the first half of extra time proved decisive, sending the Nerazzurri to the final, where they will face either Paris Saint-Germain or Arsenal.
“In the second half, we were really good. I don’t want to talk about the referee, but every 50/50 decision went their way,” Flick said during his post-match press conference.
“We gave everything, but in the end that’s how it went — and that’s what makes me a little sad. I’m not a fan of discussing referees, but I told him what I thought. I won’t repeat it here,” he added.
With their Champions League journey over, Barça will now turn their focus to La Liga, where a crucial Clásico against Real Madrid this Sunday could decide the title.