UEFA have rejected a complaint made by Barcelona about a decision which frustrated Manchester United loanee Marcus Rashford
Marcus Rashford of Barcelona
Marcus Rashford was unhappy with a decision during Barcelona's Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid(Image: AP Photo/Joan Monfort)
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UEFA have dismissed an appeal from Barcelona following their Champions League defeat last week, where Marcus Rashford was unhappy with a decision. The Manchester United loanee was part of the Barca team that suffered a 2-0 home defeat to Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their quarter-final tie, with the reverse fixture taking place in the Spanish capital on Tuesday evening.
Barcelona issued a formal complaint to UEFA after being refused a penalty following appeals for a handball by Atletico defender Marc Pubill, who was already on a yellow card at the time of the incident.
Atletico goalkeeper Juan Musso played the ball to Pubill, who handled the ball believing it was not in play, which led to appeals for a penalty from the Barcelona players.
The appeals from Barca were waved away, with the La Liga giants going on to make an official complaint to UEFA, having also seen Pau Cubarsi sent off during the game.
However, UEFA's Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) have issued a statement confirming that the appeal from Barcelona has been dismissed.
"Following the UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg between Barcelona and Atlético, Barcelona filed a protest relating to a referee decision," the statement read.
"The UEFA Control Ethics and Disciplinary Body has declared the protest to be inadmissible."
Rashford, who was in the starting line-up for Barcelona in the defeat at the Camp Nou, expressed his frustration over the decision.
"It's clear to me: it's a penalty,” Rashford told CBS Sports. “It's happened before and it's always been given. I don't understand the decision.
"People talk about common sense, but common sense itself tells you it's a penalty. Our reaction reflects that, but so does that of their own players. That counts, too.
"I've been in similar situations in matches where the decision was a penalty. Ultimately, it's hard not to complain when the decision goes against you."
Rashford left United last summer to join Barcelona on a loan deal until the end of the season, and continues to be heavily linked with a permanent switch to the La Liga giants when the summer transfer window opens.
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