Frenkie de Jong furious after humiliation against Atlético
Soundly beaten 4-0 by Atlético Madrid in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-finals, FC Barcelona left the Metropolitano with a bitter taste, caught between collective powerlessness and controversial refereeing decisions. Despite the clear superiority of Diego Simeone's men, the evening was overshadowed by controversy surrounding a disallowed goal.
See also: Copa del Rey / Atlético Madrid - Barça: Hansi Flick makes a promise
Speaking to DAZN, Frenkie de Jong did not hide his anger at the VAR:
"They showed me the image of the disallowed goal. The image I saw clearly shows that it was a goal. It looks like he was onside. For me, it was clear there was no offside. They should have seen that."
A statement that speaks to the frustration simmering in the Barça dressing room.
But the Dutchman also pointed out his team's shortcomings:
"We lost a lot of balls in dangerous areas. Our buildup from the back was poor."
Before concluding:
"We have to work on this for the second leg and for the rest of the season."