Major scandal erupts during Inter vs Barcelona match. Did Iñigo Martínez spit at Acerbi?
During the first half of the UEFA Champions League semi-final between Inter and Barcelona, a major altercation broke out on the pitch—one that the referees appeared to ignore.
Shortly before halftime, Hakan Çalhanoğlu converted a penalty, pushing the score to 2-0 in favor of Inter Milan. However, not all of the Italian club's players were in the mood to celebrate this achievement right away.
Cameras caught Francesco Acerbi yelling at the referee and gesturing toward one of the Barcelona players. This left many fans wondering what had actually happened in that moment.
Social media users claim that Barça defender Iñigo Martínez spat in Acerbi's direction as the Inter player ran past him. This incident prompted the home side to appeal to the referee, hoping he would pay attention to the episode.
Match referee Szymon Marciniak paid no attention to the situation and signaled for play to continue. It's possible this decision was made after consultation with the VAR officials.
Recall that the first leg between the sides ended in a 3-3 draw. The winner of the second match will advance to the final, which will take place in Munich.
Ileana Sanchez
Dailysports's expert
