The tension of the second leg between Atletico Madrid and Barcelona, which ended with the Catalans’ elimination from the Champions League, was reflected even after the final whistle.
One of the protagonists of the post-match moments was Raphinha, who did not play due to injury.
As Barcelona’s players were thanking their fans, the Brazilian approached the stands where Atletico fans were and was heard repeating the word “out”, accompanied by gestures, in what was interpreted as an allusion that the Madrid team would be eliminated in the next round.
The footage was captured by DAZN cameras and later published in an Instagram post. A day later, Raphinha responded in the same post, apologizing and attempting to downplay the controversy.
“It was an act done in a moment of tension, in response to a fan who was disrespecting me. I apologize for my gesture, which does not reflect my values or character,” he wrote.
However, Raphinha did not hide his anger at the way the match was conducted. In the mixed zone, he harshly criticized the refereeing, saying that “this match was a robbery”, while also complaining about the disciplinary criteria, claiming that Atletico Madrid committed too many fouls and the referee did not punish them enough.
The Barcelona winger went even further with his statements, implying that he felt fear or hesitation on the part of the referees to give Barcelona the victory.
