Flick Stresses Barcelona’s Focus on Performance, Dismissing Real Madrid’s Grievances

Barcelona’s coach Hansi Flick (59) stated on Wednesday that his squad will not rely on “excuses” following Real Madrid’s criticism of Spanish referees after an unexpected defeat in LaLiga.

The Los Blancos suffered a 1-0 loss against relegation-threatened Espanyol on Saturday, prompting them to send an outraged letter to the Spanish Football Federation, describing the officiating in the country as “manipulated” and “entirely discredited.”

Madrid were particularly incensed after Espanyol defender Carlos Romero escaped a red card for a foul on striker Kylian Mbappe, who later contributed to the winning goal.

“This letter is their decision; they handle it that way. That’s not how we operate — I firmly believe in no excuses, and that’s how we will approach it,” Flick expressed at a press conference prior to Barcelona’s Copa del Rey quarter-final clash against Valencia on Thursday.

“Every club has its reasons for voicing their opinions. We’re all human, and it’s natural for us to feel this way; everyone makes mistakes.

“Referees have challenging roles. We need to support them; it’s not an easy position to be in… Since I arrived, I’ve made it clear: no excuses, no grievances, and no blaming — I don’t support that.”

Real Madrid currently sits atop LaLiga, leading by a single point over their city rivals, Atletico Madrid, whom they will host on Saturday in league action.

Carlo Ancelotti’s men will compete on Wednesday against Leganes in the Copa del Rey, while Atletico demonstrated their prowess with a 5-0 victory over Getafe on Tuesday, booking their place in the semi-finals.

Barcelona, the record 31-time winners of the Spanish cup, previously defeated Valencia 7-1 in LaLiga this January. However, Flick is anticipating a tougher challenge at Mestalla.

“The atmosphere there was astounding, and they apply pressure effectively. Winning there was not an easy feat, and I expect a similar challenge tomorrow,” Flick commented.

“This is a cup match; while you can’t secure a trophy tomorrow, you can certainly lose one, and that is something we want to avoid.”