Inter Milan star blames Liverpool for Champions League exit with 'made up' claim

Liverpool beat Inter Milan in the group phase of the Champions League, with the Serie A giant crashing out against Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt in the play-off round

Nicolo Barella of Internazionale.(Image: Sportinfoto/DeFodi via Getty Images)

Inter Milan midfielder Nicolo Barella says a "made up" penalty awarded to Liverpool at the San Siro earlier this season is the reason that his team has crashed out of the Champions League.

Barella captained Inter in the play-off round defeat to the Norwegian outfit Bodo/Glimt, with the Italians losing both home and away and heading out 5-2 on aggregate.

But the 29-year-old made the point that had Liverpool not beaten Inter thanks to a controversial spot kick converted emphatically by Dominik Szoboszlai, it would have made the top eight spots and therefore already have booked a place in the last-16.

"We tried but they were better," Barella is quoted as saying by Goal. "It is infuriating that we slipped out of the league phase by one point because they called a made-up penalty in the 90th minute [vs Liverpool].

"With that, we didn't end up in the top eight. Without it, we would have avoided the two extra matches and the trip to Norway, but that is the new Champions League."

The incident in question involved Florian Wirtz, who went down after a minor pull on his jersey from Barella's teammate, Alessandro Bastoni.

MILAN, ITALY - DECEMBER 09: Alessandro Bastoni of FC Internazionale commits the penalty foul on Florian Wirtz of Liverpool FC during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD6 match between FC Internazionale Milano and Liverpool FC at Stadio San Siro on December 09, 2025 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Giuseppe Cottini/Getty Images)(Image: Getty Images)

Although play initially continued, a VAR intervention saw the referee head to the pitchside monitor, where he subsequently pointed to the spot — a decision that was met with widespread derision.

Former Manchester United and Arsenal midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan was equally perplexed by the call at the time.

"I don't know how they came up with a penalty that never existed but this is football," he said. "We are not happy. If you give a penalty like this, then every contact in the box is a penalty."

"I don’t understand why the VAR had to intervene when the referee saw it all," Italian manager Fabio Capello, working as a pundit, added. "[It was an] obvious simulation [with Wirtz] throwing himself to the ground."

Inter boss Cristian Chivu was more willing to focus on his side's lack of a performance against Bodo/Glimt across the two legs.

"We tried every possible way against a team that was well-organized in a low block, with 10 players behind the ball," he said. "We couldn’t break them down, and they found a mental comfort zone."

Liverpool.com says: It was a harsh decision but that wasn't the reason Inter failed to turn up against Bodo/Glimt. Across the two matches, it was deservedly beaten.