Barcelona were eliminated from the Champions League after a dramatic 3–4 loss to Inter Milan in extra time in the second leg of the semi-finals, with a total aggregate score of 6–7. Following the match, Barcelona publicly voiced dissatisfaction with some of the refereeing decisions, and a particular incident involving Francesco Acerbi and Pedri has since gone viral.
Video footage from the match shows Barcelona attacking down the left wing, with Acerbi marking Pedri near the center of the penalty area. After a few aggressive hand movements from Acerbi, Pedri falls to the ground. As Pedri tries to get back up twice, Acerbi takes advantage of referee Szymon Marciniak’s blind spot and pushes Pedri back down each time—all while still inside the penalty box.
Pedri attempted to protest to Marciniak, but the referee offered no response, and the assistant referee made no signal or intervention either. The incident has sparked heated debate online over the lack of officiating response.