Italian referee Nicola Rizzoli has come in for criticism after officiating Atletico Madrid’s elimination of Barcelona at the Champions League quarter-final stage.
A Gabi handball inside the area was adjudged to have happened outside the box which denied Barca a chance to take the tie to extra time from the penalty spot.
“Eliminated by highway robbery,” claimed the headline of Catalan newspaper Sport who also branded the refereeing performance as “disgraceful.”
Mundo Deportivo published an image showing Gabi’s arm clearly making contact with the ball inside while AS simply reported that he failed to make the correct decision.
Rizzoli officiated at the 2014 World Cup final and was named as the world’s best referee in the same year.
The 44-year-old is also one of the 18 referees who has been selected for Euro 2016.
