Koke Unhappy with Referee Decisions During Atletico Madrid’s Loss to PSG
Atletico Madrid were beaten 4-0 by Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the Club World Cup, and midfielder Koke was upset about some of the referee’s calls.
The match took place at the Rose Bowl on Sunday, with PSG showing why they are the European champions. Fabian Ruiz and Vitinha scored before half-time. In the second half, Senny Mayulu and Lee Kang-in added two more goals. Atletico’s defender Clement Lenglet was also sent off.
Atletico thought they had scored when Julian Alvarez finished a fast counter-attack, which could have made it 2-1. But the goal was disallowed after the referee used VAR and gave PSG a free-kick, saying Koke had fouled Desire Doue in the build-up.
Koke believed the decision was harsh. “We started well, and we know how good PSG are. But 4-0 doesn’t feel fair,” he said. “We had chances and even scored, but the referee took it away for a foul that could go either way. We’ve all seen what happened. PSG deserved to win, but those small moments hurt us. After the red card, it was really hard.”
Atletico’s manager Diego Simeone didn’t say much about the refereeing. “I’m tired of talking about these things,” he said. “It makes us look like victims, and I don’t feel like one. PSG were better, but you could see the details.”
PSG have now scored 105 goals in 2025 – more than any other team in Europe’s top five leagues. They also lead in expected goals (93), total shots (682), and shots on target (286).
This win came just two weeks after PSG beat Inter Milan 5-0 in the Champions League final. Captain Marquinhos said: “You never know how a match will go, especially against a strong team like Atletico. We stayed focused and gave everything. Even after winning the Champions League, we’re still hungry and working hard.”
