After a heavy 0-4 loss to PSG in the opening match of Group B of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 taking place in the early morning of June 16 (Vietnam time), Atletico Madrid expressed their dissatisfaction with the refereeing.
The away game saw an Atletico Madrid side playing below their best, who were left uncoordinated and somewhat hot-tempered. The Spanish team received 7 yellow cards, 1 red card and had to pick the ball out of the net 4 times against the UEFA Champions League champion.
However, instead of fully recognizing responsibility, some Atletico players said that referee Istvan Kovacs had controversial decisions, seriously affecting the result of the match.
Captain Koke shared after the match: "We know PSG is very strong, but the score of 0-4 is too harsh. Atletico had a chance, even a situation where the ball was put into the net but the goal was not recognized. Playing with one less player has killed our chances. Everyone can see what happens on the pitch."
Although he did not directly criticize the referee, coach Simeone expressed his fatigue with the frequent controversies surrounding the match management.
He said: "I don't want to say much about this anymore. Otherwise, we are always the same as victims. PSG played better than us, that's the truth. But everyone can see the details on the pitch."
The defeat in the opening match has put Atletico Madrid under great pressure in the next matches if they want to win a ticket to continue in Group B.
