Diego Simeone dismisses Marc Pubill handball uproar after Atletico Madrid win at Barcelona

April 9, 2026 Aksel Kryhlmand

Simeone waves away the controversy

According to Football España, which was cited by Tribuna’s April 9 report, Diego Simeone was asked about the moment in Atletico Madrid’s Champions League quarterfinal first leg win over Barcelona when Marc Pubill handled the ball inside the area after a goal kick from Juan Musso. Rather than lean into the argument, the Atletico Madrid coach brushed it aside and suggested the referee and his defender saw the sequence as a restart that had not fully come to life. He framed that reading as simple common sense, not as a controversy he wanted to keep feeding after the match.

Why Barcelona were so frustrated

The anger from Barcelona was easy to understand. Under IFAB’s Law 16, the ball is in play once it is kicked and clearly moves, which is why the handball immediately became one of the main talking points of the night. From Barcelona’s side, Pubill had handled a live ball inside his own box. Simeone’s answer did not end that debate, but it did show where Atletico Madrid stood after a result that gave them control of the tie.

The second leg in Madrid now carries even more tension

The argument over the handball was only part of the story. Atletico Madrid left Camp Nou with a 2 to 0 lead after goals from Julián Álvarez and Alexander Sørloth, while Barcelona were also left stewing over the red card shown to Pau Cubarsí after a VAR review. That combination of a damaging result and two disputed moments has given the return leg an edge that would have existed anyway, but now feels even sharper. According to The Guardian’s match report, Atletico Madrid are in a strong position, but the refereeing debate is not going away before the teams meet again.

Sources: Football España, Tribuna, IFAB Laws of the Game, Law 16, The Guardian