Barcelona coach Hansi Flick has stated that his team will not resort to “excuses” this season, following rivals Real Madrid’s complaints about refereeing in Spain after a surprise defeat in La Liga.
Los Blancos were defeated 1-0 by relegation-battling Espanyol on Saturday, subsequently sending a furious letter to the Spanish football federation, blasting the country’s refereeing as “rigged” and “completely discredited.” Real Madrid’s anger stemmed from an incident where Espanyol defender Carlos Romero avoided a red card for a challenge on striker Kylian Mbappe, later scoring the winning goal.
🎙️ The best of what Hansi Flick had to say ahead of Thursday's #ValenciaBarça in the Copa del Rey. pic.twitter.com/Imc1dFbU1U
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) February 5, 2025
“This (letter) is their choice, they do it like this, it’s not our way – I said no excuses and we will do it like that,” Flick told a news conference on Wednesday ahead of Barcelona’s Copa del Rey quarter-final against Valencia. “Every club has some reasons to say something. We’re humans, it’s normal in life, everyone makes mistakes.
“The referees have tough jobs. We have to take care of them, it’s not easy this situation… when I arrived I said no excuses, no complaining and no blaming, I don’t like that.” Real Madrid currently leads La Liga by one point over city rivals Atletico Madrid, whom they host on Saturday.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side will play Leganes in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday, while Atletico Madrid thrashed Getafe 5-0 on Tuesday to reach the semi-finals. Barcelona, who are 31-time Spanish Cup winners, thrashed Valencia 7-1 in La Liga in January, but Flick anticipates a tougher game at Mestalla.
“The atmosphere (previously there) was unbelievable, and they press well, and it was not easy to win there, and I think it will be the same tomorrow,” Flick added. “It’s a cup match and you cannot win a trophy tomorrow but you can lose one, and this we don’t want to do.”