The bad memory that Barça has of the referee who will whistle their duel against Bayern Múnich

FC Barcelona already knows who will be the referee in charge of officiating in the match this Wednesday, October 23, in the Champions League against Bayern Munich. The referee appointed by UEFA to oversee the clash between the Catalan club and the Bavarians is the Slovenian Slavko Vincic, an official whom Barça does not have the fondest memories of.

Barcelona has only faced the Slovenian referee once, in that UEFA Champions League 2022-23 match that pitted the Blaugrana against Inter Milan on October 4, 2022, ending in a 1-0 victory for the Italians. This encounter was marked by a series of controversial decisions made by Slavko Vincic that favored the 'Nerazzurri' side.

The controversies involving Slavko Vincic in the only Barcelona match he officiated

In that match, Slavko Vincic, who has officiated 452 matches in his professional career, disallowed a goal by Pedri González in the 67th minute that would have changed the score in favor of Barcelona. Pedri seized on a loose ball in the box and slotted it into the net with the goal gaping. However, the Slovenian referee reviewed the play via VAR, citing a supposed handball by Ansu Fati that nullified the goal, despite it being a completely unintentional handball by the Blaugrana's '10'. It is worth noting that up to that point, such actions were not considered infringements due to their unintentional nature.

Additionally, in that same match, Slavko Vincic chose not to send off Inter Milan midfielder Hakan Çalhanoğlu. During an incident, the Turkish midfielder clashed with the midfielder in a challenge where, instead of going for the ball, he made contact with his studs raised and potentially endangering the opponent's ankle. Despite this, the 'Nerazzurri' player only received a yellow card, although several sources agree that showing him a red card would not have been excessive.

To top it off, in that game, the Slovenian referee failed to award a clear penalty in the 92nd minute. In that play, as Denzel Dumfries attempted to clear a ball heading towards Ansu Fati, Denzel Dumfries managed to divert a lofted cross with a clear handball. In the moment of the jump, it's evident how the Dutch full-back positioned his hand unnaturally, making a movement that altered the play and prevented Ansu Fati from taking a shot.

And how has Bayern Munich fared with Slavko Vincic as the referee?

Speaking of the times when Slavko Vincic has officiated Bayern Munich, he has overseen them on two occasions: once in the 2021-22 season and again in the 2023-24 campaign. In this regard, the results have been positive with one win and one draw. The most recent victory was a resounding 3-0 against Lazio on March 5, 2024, while the draw occurred on April 12, 2022, in the match between Bayern and Villarreal.