Former Super Eagles midfielder John Mikel Obi has weighed in on Barcelona’s Champions League elimination at the hands of Atletico Madrid, insisting the Spanish champions have nobody to blame but themselves, Soccernet.ng reports.
Barcelona were knocked out of the competition on Tuesday night despite winning 2-1 on the night. However, their 2-0 defeat in the first leg last week meant the tie ended 3-2 on aggregate in favour of Atletico Madrid, who progressed after a tightly contested two-leg battle.
The second leg saw Atletico fall 2-0 behind before fighting back and it proved enough to seal their spot in the next round. Nigerian forward Ademola Lookman played a key role by scoring the crucial goal that swung the tie in their favour, finishing calmly after he was set up by Marcos Llorente, helping Diego Simeone’s side secure qualification.
Despite the result, much of the post-match conversation has centered around refereeing decisions, with Barcelona once again expressing their frustration just as they did after the first leg, arguing that several decisions went against them after they had two players sent off over both legs.
Mikel Obi calls out Barcelona over ‘robbery’ claims
Reacting to Barcelona’s complaints after the match, Mikel Obi offered a brutally honest assessment of their performance, stating that the defeat had more to do with their own shortcomings than officiating.
“A lot of FC Barcelona fans won’t like what I’m about to say, but it’s the truth. You dominated the ball the entire game just to do absolutely nothing with it, and then you shout ‘robbery’ when reality hits you,” the former Super Eagles captain told Mundo Deportivo.
“That wasn’t a robbery — that was you exposing yourselves by having all the possession and zero killer instinct to show for it. That ‘comeback mentality’ you love to talk about… where was it? Because when the game really needed character.”
Mikel Obi also praised Atletico Madrid for their approach,, including the performance of Lookman, whose contribution proved decisive in the outcome of the tie.
“Atlético Madrid had it. Ademola Lookman stepped up and decided the match, while Barcelona players were busy shaking hands with the referee as if he was going to change the score for them”, the former Chelsea midfielder added.
“They failed to come back against Atlético on two different occasions when they had to play them twice. Now they want to blame the referee for their incompetent style of play. That’s not how it works”, Mikel Obi concluded.
The early exit from the Champions League for Barcelona raises familiar concerns about their effectiveness and ability to turn dominance into goals when it matters most.
Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid march on to the semi-finals for the first time in nine years, where they will face Arsenal as they continue their push for a first-ever UEFA Champions League title.
