As Fernando Torres told it, Tuesday night's Champions League matchup between Atlético Madrid and Barcelona was a tale of two jerseys.
Torres notched Atlético's only goal at 21', only to then get sent off at 35' after accumulating two yellow cards for two risky tackles. A diminished Atlético managed to gamely contain Barcelona. But Luis Suárez eventually broke through twice in 12 minutes—first at 63', then 74'—to put the home side ahead for good, 2-1, even though he also made a few questionable tackles himself.
The difference? Torres blamed the jersey—implying that Barcelona doesn't get called for those types of penalties, while smaller clubs like Atlético do.
"They shouldn't have been cards," Torres told Spanish radio station Cadena Cope, according to FOX Soccer. "If it had been the other way around then they wouldn't have been given."
He went even further in an interview with Spanish TV station MEGA, saying "I don't know what Barca players have to do to get sent off just like us.... You can tell there is fear that Barca will be eliminated."
Atlético manager Diego Simeone was slightly more diplomatic—"there were more than two incidents involving Suarez," he noted primly—although he made sure to back up his striker. "I can't say what I think, but I am not angry with Fernando [Torres] for sure."
I take responsibility for our defeat, but now more than ever let’s go to The Calderón for a comeback #ForzaAtletipic.twitter.com/Ib9YBQrvmP
— Fernando Torres (@Torres) April 5, 2016
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