The name of Deniz Aytekin remains in the memory of PSG fans after Barcelona's 6-1 Champions League match in 2017. The Parisian team suffered its worst historical defeat in the highest continental competition and the French press reduced the result to the German referee, especially due to Mascherano's penalty to Di María that could change the course of the match.
Since that fateful night for PSG, Aytekin has not officiated again in the final phase of the Champions League. UEFA, in fact, prohibited him from making statements after Barcelona's comeback, claiming that it could damage the image of the highest instance of European football.
For six months, Aytekin has been treating a ruptured Achilles tendon that has prevented him from refereeing. His popularity rating in Germany is in stark contrast to that of Europe, as he was designated in 2019 as the best referee in German football. Aytekin lives quietly in Nuremberg and has practically forgotten that night at the Camp Nou that would mark the rest of his life.