Former Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves shared that his son picked up the ball during an under-11s match when discussing the Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid handball controversy

Owen Hargreaves has jokingly apologised to his son live on TNT Sports for ‘throwing him under the bus’ after revealing he picked up the ball during a recent under-11s match and gave away a penalty.

The former Manchester United midfielder used the incident light-heartedly as an illustration when discussing the moment Atletico Madrid defender Marc Pubill did the same during their Champions League quarter-final first leg against Barcelona.

Unlike Hargreaves Jnr, however, the 22-year-old escaped punishment at Camp Nou as referee Istvan Kovacs waved play on after Pubill handled the ball inside the six-yard box following a goal-kick from his goalkeeper, Juan Musso.

Get MEN Premium now for just £1 HERE – or get involved in our United WhatsApp group by clicking HERE. You can also join our United Facebook page by clicking HERE and don’t miss out on our brilliant selection of newsletters HERE.

The incident understandably enraged the Catalan club, who have formally lodged a complaint with UEFA regarding the officiating and requested a thorough investigation. Marcus Rashford also could not understand the decision, calling it a clear penalty.

Hargreaves agreed, saying on TNT Sports: “100%. If you’re Hansi Flick and Barcelona, you’re absolutely fuming, and rightly so. I know you could say, ‘Oh, he misjudged it,’ but if he handled the ball once he’s kicked it…”

He then quipped: “Funnily enough, my son did that the other day (laughs) in a game, and he accidentally just picked it up, and we all just went ‘what are you doing?’

Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package

This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more

Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.

Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.

“And the ref, I mean, it’s under elevens, he gave a pen, so I think, based on the letter of the law, it was, wasn’t it? And it had a huge impact on the game, so I can completely understand Hansi Flick.

“Sorry for throwing my son under the bus there!” TNT presenter Becky Ives then replied: “You have a little bit there, haven’t you?”

However, the point Hargreaves used his son to make echoed what Rashford said after the match. He told CBS Sports: “It’s clear to me: it’s a penalty, it’s happened before, and it’s always been given, I don’t understand the decision.

“People talk about common sense, but common sense itself tells you it’s a penalty. Our reaction reflects that, but so does that of their own players. That counts, too.

“I’ve been in similar situations in matches where the decision was a penalty. Ultimately, it’s hard not to complain when the decision goes against you.”

It is almost an understatement to say Barcelona are absolutely livid, going as far as to release a statement on Thursday. It reads: “FC Barcelona inform that the club’s legal services have submitted a complaint to UEFA today regarding the events in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg against Atletico Madrid. The club considers that the refereeing did not adhere to the current law, directly influencing how the game progressed and the result.

“The complaint centres around a specific action. In the 54th minute of the match, after play had been restarted correctly, an opponent player picked up the ball in their area without being shown the corresponding penalty. FC Barcelona understands that this decision, along with a grave lack of intervention by VAR, represents a major error.

“Accordingly, the club has requested that an investigation be opened, access to refereeing communications, and, where applicable, official acknowledgement of the errors and the adoption of the relevant measures.

“Along these same lines, FC Barcelona consider that this is not the first time in recent editions of the UEFA Champions League that unfathomable refereeing decisions have had a detrimental effect on the team, creating a clear double standard and preventing competing against other clubs on a level playing field.”