Champions League: Barcelona Boss Xavi Blames Referee After Painful Quarterfinal Exit

• Xavi Hernandez has faulted the referee for Barcelona's Champions League exit
• The Barca manager believes Ronald Araujo's red card changed the game entirely
• PSG took advantage of the incident, completing the comeback to reach the semis

FC Barcelona manager, Xavi Hernandez, has blamed Romanian referee Istvan Kovacs for his team's exit from the UEFA Champions League.

The Catalan giants had aspirations of returning to the semi-finals for the first time since 2019, but their hopes were dashed when Ronald Araujo received a red card for pulling down Bradley Barcola, altering the course of the tie.

France24 reports that despite Raphinha giving Barca an early lead, Araujo's expulsion in the 29th minute shifted the momentum in PSG's favour.

At the time of his send-off, the Spanish champions held a two-goal advantage following a 3-2 win in the quarter-final first leg.

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However, PSG took full advantage of the contentious decision. The Parisians staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Xavi's men 4-1, securing a place in the Champions League semi-finals with a 6-4 aggregate scoreline.

Goals from Ousmane Dembele and Vitinha levelled the tie for PSG, and Kylian Mbappe's brace sealed their spot in the final four for the first time since 2021.

Xavi blames referee for Barcelona UCL exit

Following the match, the Spanish tactician, who was also sent off for his touchline outburst, attributed his team's defeat and subsequent elimination to the referee's decisions.

“It’s a pity our Champions League is over due to the referee's mistake,” a visibly distraught Xavi said, as cited by Fabrizio Romano.

The 44-year-old added: “I just told the referee that he’s been a disaster. It’s the reality. It’s pointless to discuss the game… the referee destroyed it all”.

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“We can’t stay silent. He changed the game and the entire tie. It was a disaster,” he ended.

Fans share divided views on Araujo's red card

In a related publication, Sports Brief reported that football fans have differing views on Ronald Araujo's red card during Barcelona's Champions League quarter-final second leg against Paris Saint-Germain.

The referee deemed Araujo's challenge on Bradley Barcola as a deliberate attempt to deny a goal-scoring opportunity, resulting in a straight red card.

Some fans believe the decision was justified, while others argue that Araujo's tackle was relatively minor and didn't warrant a sending-off.