“He’s been a disaster” – Xavi Hernandez blames referee for Barcelona’s Champions League exit

Barcelona’s wait for a sixth Champions League crown goes on, as they fell to a quarter-final defeat against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday. The Catalans held a 3-2 lead going into the second leg, but went on to lose 4-1 at the Estadi Olimpic, which ensured a 6-4 defeat on aggregate.

The match, and tie, changed completely when Ronald Araujo was sent off for an adjudged last man challenge on Bradley Barcola in the first half. At that point, Barcelona were 1-0 up (4-2 on aggregate), and head coach Xavi Hernandez singled out that moment as the major flash point in Montjuic, as per Diario AS.

“We are upset. I think the incident with Araujo decided the tie. Up until that point, we were well organised. That play affected the entire match.”

Xavi Hernández: "I think the Araújo play decided the tie. With 11 v 11 we were well organized." pic.twitter.com/ija4p1TguR

— barcacentre (@barcacentre) April 16, 2024

Xavi, who himself was also shown a red card, believes that referee Istvan Kovacs was incorrect with his decision to send off the Uruguayan defender.

“What we’ve worked for all season is ruined by a referee’s decision. I told him that he’s been a disaster, very poor. He doesn’t understand the game.”

The exit means that Barcelona will almost certainly end the season without a trophy, unless they can overhaul Real Madrid, which appears unlikely. However, they can take a big step towards doing that on Sunday when the two teams meet at the Santiago Bernabeu for the final El Clasico of the campaign.

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