In the wake of Barcelona’s surprising exit from the UEFA Champions League, former Nigerian international Mikel Obi has come forward to challenge the club’s narrative of being wronged by officiating. Following their 3-2 aggregate defeat to Atletico Madrid, several Barcelona players and officials voiced their frustration, attributing their loss to the referee’s decisions. However, Mikel Obi believes that the team’s lack of decisive play was the real issue.
Speaking to Mundo Deportivo, Obi highlighted Barcelona’s failure to capitalize on their ball possession, stating, “A lot of FC Barcelona fans won’t like what I’m about to say, but it’s the truth. You dominated the ball the entire game just to do absolutely nothing with it, and then you shout ‘robbery’ when reality hits you.”
The former Chelsea star emphasized that Barcelona’s inability to convert opportunities reflected their absence of a ‘comeback mentality’ when it mattered most. “Atlético Madrid had it. Ademola Lookman stepped up and decided the match, while Barcelona players were busy shaking hands with the referee as if he was going to change the score for them,” Obi continued.
He further criticized the team for not adjusting after failing to secure a win against Atletico Madrid in two consecutive meetings. “They failed to come back against Atlético on two different occasions when they had to play them twice. Now they want to blame the referee for their incompetent style of play. That’s not how it works,” Mikel Obi concluded.
