Barcelona defender Eric Garcia has questioned recent refereeing decisions following his red card in the Catalans’ 4-0 Copa del Rey humiliation at the hands of Atletico Madrid, pointing to a controversial tackle by Giuliano Simeone that escaped similar punishment.
Garcia was sent off in the 85th minute for a rash challenge, completing a miserable evening for Hansi Flick’s side at the Metropolitano. But the Spaniard insists the officials got it wrong—both on his dismissal and what he perceived as leniency toward the son of Atletico coach Diego Simeone.
“Did you see Giuliano’s tackle? And you think it was a red card? These decisions have been going against us lately,” Garcia told reporters post-match.
Giuliano Simeone escaped a yellow card in the opening minutes after a crunching challenge on Alejandro Balde. He was finally booked in the second half for another poor tackle on the same defender.
Garcia admitted he was unfortunate with his own sending-off. “I was unlucky enough to slip and hit him. We know it’s going to be tough and they’re not going to make it easy for us. Playing at home with our fans, we can win.”
Despite the heavy defeat, the defender refused to write off Barcelona’s chances of advancing. The two sides meet again at Camp Nou in March.
“There’s a game left at home, with our fans and with players we’ll have back. If we’re focused from the start, we can turn this around,” he said.
Garcia was blunt about Barcelona’s performance, acknowledging they were second best for large spells.
“The first half was tough for us. Obviously, the first goal was an incredible misfortune. After that, they came out more focused, with more attitude… against a rival like Atlético, it’s difficult with this advantage.”
He added: “I’m not going to lie to you. They were getting into our area very easily. There were a lot of spaces. In the second half we adjusted and changed things.”
The defender revealed that head coach Hansi Flick attempted to rally the team at halftime. “At halftime, Flick told us it was a new game and we had to try to win the second half.”
Garcia also hinted at a potential controversial moment he had not fully reviewed. “We had scored a goal… we all have questions. I saw an image, I haven’t quite figured out the frame yet, but we’re not going to use that as an excuse.”
Barcelona now face a monumental task to overturn a four-goal deficit in the return leg. With injuries and suspensions mounting, Flick’s European ambitions hang by a thread.
Atletico, meanwhile, will travel to Catalonia with confidence soaring after dismantling the hosts on their own turf.
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