May 7, 2025 – Barcelona, Spain
Barcelona defender Iñigo Martínez has publicly denied allegations that he spat at Inter Milan’s Francesco Acerbi during their heated UEFA Champions League semi-final clash on May 6. The accusation surfaced following a fiery moment in the second leg of the tie at San Siro, shortly after Inter went 2–0 up through Hakan Çalhanoğlu’s penalty.
The incident, which occurred amidst mounting tensions between the sides, sparked a confrontation between Martínez and Acerbi. Video footage quickly circulated online, with some fans and media outlets suggesting that the Spanish international may have spat in the direction of the Italian defender. However, match officials did not issue any disciplinary action at the time, and the incident went unreviewed by VAR.
In a post-match statement, Martínez acknowledged that his behavior was emotional in the heat of the moment, but firmly rejected the notion that he intentionally spat at his opponent.
“Acerbi celebrated right in my ear, and I reacted poorly, I admit that,” said Martínez. “But I want to make it absolutely clear—I did not spit at him. Any suggestion that I did is false.”
Martínez claimed that if there was any contact, it was purely accidental, emphasizing that it was not a deliberate act of disrespect.
Despite the controversy, the match proved to be one of the most dramatic of the tournament. Barcelona clawed their way back into the tie with goals from Eric García and Dani Olmo, before Raphinha gave them the lead. But Acerbi would have the last word, scoring a stoppage-time equalizer that forced extra time. Inter ultimately secured their place in the final with a decisive goal from Davide Frattesi, winning 4–3 on the night and 7–6 on aggregate.
UEFA has yet to announce whether it will investigate the alleged spitting incident further. For now, Martínez’s denial stands as the only official response from the Barcelona camp.
