Benfica’s brutal exit on refereeing against FC Barcelona

The match of the year. For many, the match between Benfica and FC Barcelona last night in the Champions League is already the match of the year 2025 (5-4). If it is still a little too early to say, last night’s shock at the Luz stadium was simply crazy. The Portuguese led several times against the Culés (3-1, then 4-2), who finally won 5 to 4 thanks to a final goal from Raphinha (90th + 5). Which sent the Benfica players into a rage. Indeed, they believe that this last goal should not have been validated since, according to them, Fermin Lopez committed a foul on Leandro Barreiro in the area.

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Benfica has it bad

But the referee of the match, Mr Danny Makkelie, considered that there was no fault and he let the two teams play. Which then led to the Culés counter and Raphinha’s goal. After the match, tempers became heated as a violent altercation broke out in the tunnel leading to the locker room between the Brazilian and several Benfica players. The police and members of the security services of the two clubs had to intervene. The tension did not subside in the Lusitanian camp since Rui Costa, the president of the club, went down to the locker room to explain himself to the Dutch referee.

To Ball specifies that he left the presidential stand to ask him to justify himself concerning the penalty not whistled on Barreiro at the end of the match. Rui Costa was not the only one to be angry since Bruno Lage, Benfica coach, also attacked the referee at a press conference. “The feeling of frustration is enormous for the result, but there is enormous pride for the performance, to see the Benfica family supporting the team from start to finish… But when we score 4 goals and we put in such a performance , and when we look at the way we concede, the goals… there is a feeling of frustration.

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Bruno Lage does not digest

Then he continued: “then I have to analyze the game and look at what happened in the 94th minute… I think it was a big mistake by the referee. I do not speak for myself, for the fans, but I have observed that all the experts, at national level, clearly give penalties. The fact is that the referee in these situations must have similar criteria compared to Barcelona’s penalties, to ours, look at this one. If he has granted the others, he must necessarily grant this one. Then we got into the excitement of asking for a penalty but we should have stopped the action with a foul, we can’t allow a Barcelona player to run into the middle of the field to score the goal. I have to report this moment to the referee.”

On the players’ side too, the arbitration was the talk of the town. Florentino Luis confided: “It is clear that the refereeing influenced the match a little, but there are certain details on which the team needs to mature and we will work on that to be able to be stronger in the next match.” Alvaro Carreras was “furious with the result.” In Spain too, the favors visibly granted to Barça are being talked about. Asked by ASformer referee Iturralde González, said: “Lamine Yamal was brought down in the area after what the referee deemed a foul by Carreras. He put his hand on Yamal, but he let go when he made contact. This gesture did not deserve a penalty. Benfica is surely of the same opinion…