According to reports, in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League semifinal between Inter Milan and Barcelona, a controversial handball incident in the first half halted the game and sparked widespread debate.

Mateu Lahoz, a retired Spanish referee and Movistar Plus referee analyst, commented on the incident, but his explanations left many questions unanswered. Lahoz, who has officiated high-profile matches, referred to UEFA’s cautious approach to VAR reviews but failed to provide a clear explanation.

The match started with high intensity, and Inter took an early lead with Lautaro Martínez’s goal. Barcelona, pushing for an equalizer, penetrated Inter’s penalty area in the 25th minute. At this moment, Pedri attempted a back pass, but the ball first hit Inter defender Francesco Acerbi’s body before striking his arm.

Pedri immediately appealed to referee Szymon Marciniak, requesting a VAR review. However, the VAR team, led by Tomasz Kwiatkowski, decided no on-field review was necessary, and play continued. This decision provoked strong protests from Barcelona players.

Mateu Lahoz, analyzing the match for Movistar Plus, said: “It doesn’t seem like a penalty. UEFA is very cautious with these reviews.” This brief statement, made seconds after a two-minute VAR check, did not clarify whether the referee’s decision was correct.

Lahoz did not specify whether he believed Acerbi’s handball was unintentional, leaving further ambiguity.