Inter Milan's Barella Blames Liverpool Penalty for Champions League Exit

Inter Milan midfielder Nicolo Barella has pointed to a controversial penalty awarded to Liverpool earlier in the season as the root cause of his club's shock early elimination from the Champions League.

The Italian international made the remarks following Inter's stunning 5-2 aggregate defeat to Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt in the knockout round play-offs. The Nerazzurri entered the second leg as heavy favourites to progress but failed to overturn a first-leg deficit.

Speaking after the match, Barella expressed his frustration at the circumstances that placed Inter in the play-off round, arguing that a disputed late penalty awarded to Liverpool in their group stage encounter ultimately cost his team a place in the top eight.

"We tried but they were better," Barella admitted. "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 against Liverpool. With that decision, we didn't end up in the top eight."

The Italian midfielder argued that had the penalty not been awarded, Inter would have secured automatic qualification for the round of 16 and avoided the additional fixtures that eventually led to their elimination.

"Without it, we would have avoided the two extra matches and the trip to Norway," he added. "But that is the new Champions League."

Inter's elimination marks one of the biggest shocks of this season's competition, with the Italian champions failing to reach the last 16 despite boasting a squad filled with established international stars.

The defeat will raise questions about the team's European credentials and puts additional pressure on manager Simone Inzaghi ahead of domestic fixtures.