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Barcelona defender Iñigo Martinez has refuted claims that he spat at Inter Milan’s Francesco Acerbi during their Champions League semi-final second leg at San Siro on Tuesday.
The incident occurred just before half-time, moments after Hakan Calhanoglu converted a penalty to give Inter a 2-0 lead on the night. As Acerbi ran past Martinez in celebration, television footage appeared to show the Spanish defender spitting in his direction — prompting an angry reaction from the Inter man and a brief confrontation on the pitch.
Despite Acerbi's protest and a subsequent video assistant referee (VAR) review for a possible red card, no punishment was issued by Polish referee Szymon Marciniak.
Martinez has since addressed the controversy, denying any intention to spit at the Italian defender. Speaking to El Chiringuito TV, he explained: “He celebrated in my ear. My reaction was unnecessary but I never spat at him. If I had, I would have been sent off, no doubt about that.”
Martinez reiterated his stance in comments to Mundo Deportivo, adding: “Acerbi celebrated the goal in my ear, I got angry, but the spit wasn’t directed at him; I would have been sent off.”
The clash added to an already tense evening for Barcelona, who ultimately bowed out of the competition after a dramatic 4-3 loss on the night, with Inter advancing 7-6 on aggregate thanks to a last-gasp equalizer from Acerbi that forced extra time.
The Spanish defender didn’t hold back in his criticism of the officiating either, joining head coach Hansi Flick in questioning several of Marciniak’s decisions.
Martinez, who was substituted in the second half for Ronald Araujo, also clarified his physical condition after the game and expressed optimism ahead of Barcelona’s upcoming La Liga fixture.
“I felt fine” he said, adding that he expects to be available for the highly anticipated El Clasico. “The team still has a lot of motivation, and we are going for Madrid without any issues.”
Featured Image Credit: Pixabay / jorono, Instagram / @fcbarcelona
