Barcelona's path back to the UEFA Champions League became significantly steeper after a contentious 0-2 home defeat to Atletico Madrid, a result that left manager Hansi Flick fuming at the officiating more than his team's effort.

The match's pivotal moment arrived in the first half when young defender Pau Cubarsí was shown a straight red card, a decision Flick vehemently disputed. "I’m not sure he made enough contact because the ball was behind him," the manager argued, questioning the severity of the punishment in such a high-stakes fixture.

Playing a man down for over an hour, Barça's reshuffled defense was inevitably stretched, allowing Atletico to capitalize and secure a vital three points in the race for European qualification.

Flick's frustration, however, extended far beyond the red card. He pointed to a second-half incident where Atletico's Marc Pubill appeared to handle the ball inside the area following a goal kick, a potential penalty and second yellow card that went unpunished. "I don’t know why VAR didn’t intervene," Flick stated bluntly. "What’s VAR for? It should have been a penalty, a second yellow, and a red. This is exactly what can’t happen."

In a pointed remark about the Video Assistant Referee team, Flick added, "VAR was very much on Atlético’s side… he was German, thanks Germany," highlighting his belief that the crucial calls consistently went against his side.

Amidst the controversy, Flick did praise his team's resilience, acknowledging the immense challenge of competing at the elite level with a numerical disadvantage for so long. "We played well and gave it our all," he said, commending the fighting spirit displayed by his squad even in defeat.

While the result is a major setback, Flick's comments underscore a team feeling aggrieved by fate as much as outplayed by their opponents, setting the stage for a determined response in their final push for the season.