NEWS. . . BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT
Xavi has what he told the referee after Barcelona were knocked out of the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain.
Barca took a one-goal lead in tonight’s second leg and looked to be in the quarter-finals after Raphinha scored a first game against the development of the game.
But Barcelona were reduced to ten men when Ronald Araujo showed a straight red card for cutting Bradley Barcola just outside the box and denying a clear scoring opportunity.
The sending off gave PSG new hope of a comeback and they returned to the equaliser thanks to former Barca star Ousmane Dembele, who fired into the roof of the net after an attractive cross from Barcalo.
Barcelona were ahead at the break, Vitinha and Kylian Mbappe scoring after the break to give PSG the lead.
The hosts looked for an equalizer, but their exit from the Champions League was demonstrated when Mbappe scored on a Paris Saint-Germain counterattack in the 89th minute.
Xavi admitted he was “angry” after Barca’s European defeat and criticised referee Istvan Kovacs for Araujo’s sending off.
“We are dissatisfied and angry because I think the resolution makes the resolution the draw,” said Xavi, who will step down as Barcelona coach at the end of the season.
“Eleven against eleven, we were well organised. The resolution is a draw. For me it’s too much to give a red card for this game and from there it’s another game. “
“I told the referee that I was in a very bad way, that I was in crisis and that I didn’t understand football. That killed the tie. Everything is fixed. I don’t like to talk about referees, but it has to be said, we can’t remain silent.
“Barça will check it again. We’ve had a very dignified Champions League, remarkable, I would say.
To make matters worse for Xavi, he too was sent into the stands following Paris Saint-Germain’s defeat after furiously kicking a poster. Xavi was then seen reprimanding the referees on the pitch after the match.
PSG have never won the Champions League but will be keen to triumph in the final after Borussia Dortmund eliminated Atletico Madrid in the other quarterfinals tonight.
After a thrilling 5-4 win over Atletico, Dortmund coach Edin Terzic said: “I’m happy and proud.
“The atmosphere today was unbelievably good. We had two moments today that maybe set us back, but we were strong and in the end we deserved to improve. “
“I’m proud to say that we deserved to face a team like Atletico Madrid and now we face Paris.
“Our first [organizational] game against them wasn’t good. In the second game, we adapted better to them and were closer to winning. I think we are a better team than the one we faced them in the organization phase.
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