The question of whether Lamine Yamal should have received a penalty during Barcelona’s thrilling Champions League defeat on Tuesday night has been definitively answered by former referee Mateu Lahoz. Similar to the first leg in Catalonia, an all-time classic took place, this time at the storied San Siro, when Inter Milan defeated Hansi Flick’s team 4-3 to complete their European campaign with a 7-6 aggregate victory.
Lautaro Martinez opened the scoring just 21 minutes as Simone Inzaghi’s team stormed out of the starting blocks. Just before halftime, Hakan Calhanoglu extended the lead from the penalty spot, but Barcelona really got going in the second half. Eric Garcia and Dani Olmo each scored within six minutes to tie the score and draw the game. The dispute followed.
In the 71st minute, Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s challenge on Barcelona’s young prodigy Lamine Yamal seemed to carry into the box, prompting referee Szymon Marciniak to first award a penalty. However, he awarded a free-kick after determining that the foul happened just beyond the area after consulting the pitchside monitor. The result might have been drastically different if the initial call had been upheld and Raphinha’s goal had not yet been scored in the 87th minute. View the incident below:
Former Champions League Ref Casts Verdict on Yamal Penalty Shout
He believes the tackle was a clear penalty for Barcelona
Lahoz, who became well-known for his chatty and eccentric refereeing style while he oversaw La Liga games from 2008 to 2023, expressed his opinion that Barcelona should have been given a penalty in response to the contentious penalty call on Spanish TV. He stated:
“VAR stepped in because Cubarsi’s penalty was seen from a single camera. Why didn’t the referee see the video of Lamine’s penalty if he had seen more of that action? It was a penalty for me. Two touches resulted in fouls, one within the box and one outside, which caused Lamine to fall.
Dale Johnson, an ESPN rules analyst, quickly expressed a different opinion on social media, contending that repeated contact inside the box does not always call for a penalty. He highlighted the grey area that still exists in the rulebook by explaining that the foul’s location is determined by the point of initial contact.
With only the La Liga title remaining to add to their Copa del Rey victory, Barcelona’s treble hopes are officially over. However, following their shocking Champions League exit, many Catalan supporters are still furious and are blaming the officiating, as Francesco Acerbi’s equaliser in extra time and Davide Frattesi’s subsequent extra-time winner would have felt like a dagger to the heart of Los Culers, who are unwilling to let suspected foul play go unchecked. Pedro has publicly called on UEFA to look into referee Marciniak, and Hansi Flick made thinly veiled jabs at the officials in his post-match remarks. It’s ironic that after ridiculed Real Madrid for their frequent referee complaints throughout the season, Barcelona is now under the same scrutiny, accused of the very behaviour they once derided.
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