Report: PSG president searched for referee to protest 'shameful' oversight

Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi was calmed by security staff after he tried, and failed, to complain to the match officials after Wednesday's Champions League elimination to Real Madrid, sources told ESPN's Alex Kirkland.

Al-Khelaifi was incensed at Dutch referee Danny Makkelie for not awarding PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma a free-kick before Karim Benzema's first goal in the last-16 encounter. He reportedly left the presidential box at full-time, shouting and describing the non-call as "shameful" before unsuccessfully searching for the referee's dressing room at the Santiago Bernabeu.

PSG held a 2-0 aggregate advantage before Benzema's 17-minute hat-trick led a stirring comeback victory for the hosts. The French striker side-footed his first effort home after squeezing Donnarumma off the ball seconds earlier.

Les Parisiens' head coach Mauricio Pochettino was similarly angered at Makkelie for his apparent oversight.

"It's hard not to talk about this big refereeing error, which I don't understand and I won't forgive," he fumed.

"I don't understand why the referee didn't call for VAR. From then on everything changed in the stadium. Our players were upset, even if we must recognize that we made mistakes."