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Barcelona winger Raphinha’s taunting gesture and prediction that Atlético Madrid would be eliminated in the next round after Barça’s controversial UCL quarter-final exit have gone viral again, as Atlético were knocked out of the competition on Tuesday.
Watch: When Barca’s Raphinha predicted Atlético Madrid's UCL elimination
The Brazilian forward made a provocative celebration towards Atlético fans at the Metropolitano in April, shortly after Barcelona were knocked out of the Champions League by Diego Simeone's squad. His words proved accurate when Atlético failed to advance further in the Champions League.
Raphinha later issued an apology, stating the gesture was triggered by fan disrespect and did not reflect his values. The clip, resurfaced, has since been celebrated by Barcelona supporters.
Atlético Madrid were eliminated by Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals on May 5, 2026. The tie ended 2-1 on aggregate after a tense 1-1 first leg at the Metropolitano Stadium, where Viktor Gyökeres gave Arsenal the lead from the penalty spot before Julián Álvarez equalized from another spot-kick.
The Gunners dominated large portions of the match but had a late penalty overturned by VAR. In the second leg at the Emirates Stadium, Mikel Arteta’s side secured a narrow 1-0 victory thanks to a first-half goal from Bukayo Saka.
Atlético struggled to create clear chances and could not overturn the deficit, sending Arsenal through to their first Champions League final in 20 years while ending Atlético’s run. They will face the winner between Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain.
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