Barcelona Defender Eric Garcia Expelled from Field in Champions League Opener After Referee Displays Wrong Card During AS Monaco Game

By Gift Badewo

Published: September 19, 2024 | 11:35 PM GMT

Barcelona’s Champions League debut didn’t go as smoothly as planned on Thursday, thanks to a mix-up with the referee’s cards.

A Controversial Decision

The drama unfolded just 10 minutes into the match when Takumi Minamino stole the ball from Eric Garcia near Barcelona’s penalty area.

In a desperate attempt to stop Minamino from scoring, Garcia fouled him—an action that looked like a textbook professional foul.

The Referee’s Confusion

The referee’s response was swift but baffling.

He showed Garcia a yellow card, but then seemed to signal for him to leave the field.

This unusual move left everyone, both in the stadium and watching at home, scratching their heads.

Commentators even speculated that the referee might have accidentally displayed the wrong card color.

The Aftermath

It quickly became apparent that the referee’s initial signal was indeed a mistake, as Garcia was seen walking off the pitch and heading down the tunnel.

Things continued to spiral for Barcelona when Maghnes Akliouche scored for AS Monaco just six minutes later.

A Heartbreaking Finish

Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal managed to level the score with a stunning goal, but the joy was short-lived.

George Ilenikhena sealed the win for Monaco with a goal 12 minutes before the final whistle.

What’s next for Barcelona after this rocky start?

About Gift Badewo

A performance driven and goal oriented young lady with excellent verbal and non-verbal communication skills. She is experienced in creative writing, editing, proofreading, and administration. Gift is also skilled in Customer Service and Relationship Management, Project Management, Human Resource Management, Team work, and Leadership with a Master's degree in Communication and Language Arts (Applied Communication).