Lesson for Madrid! Flick 'passes' of complaints about arbitration: "We don't put excuses"

Hansi Flick was another of the numerous questioned figures due to the recent controversy between Real Madrid and refereeing in Spanish football. It should be noted that the Madrid team claims to have been harmed by the work of Alejandro Muñiz Ruiz (referee) and his VAR assistant, Javier Iglesias Villanueva, during the match of matchday 22 against RCD Espanyol (1-0). On this occasion, in their opinion, the defender of the 'periquito' team, Carlos Romero Serrano, should have been sent off foran offense committed against Kylian Mbappé.

In light of this situation, Real Madrid has decided to send an extensive letter to the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), with a copy to the Higher Sports Council (CSD), presenting a formal complaint accusing the refereeing of"manipulation and adulteration of the competition" for what happened. The letter requested, among other things, access to the conversation audios between Muñiz Ruiz (main referee) and Iglesias Villanueva (VAR), where two key plays were discussed:the aforementioned foul on Mbappé and a goal disallowed for the Madrid team, due to a previous foul by 'Donatello', another incident that caused discontent in the white team.

Hansi Flick's criticism of Real Madrid's complaints about Spanish refereeing

In this context, Hansi Flick has chosen not to delve into the topic. "To be honest with you, I don't want to talk about this. They have done it that way, but that is not our style. We don't make excuses. Each club has its own way", he expressed, possibly somewhat uncomfortable with a question of that nature.

Also, the German coach emphasized how difficult it is to be in charge of enforcing justice in a match, acknowledging that referees are not exempt from making mistakes, just like any other professional in the course of their work. "We are humans and we make mistakes. Referees have a tough job and it has to be respected. It's not easy for them", he warned.

Faced with the ongoing questions on this matter, Hansi Flick has brought the discussion to a more personal level, downplaying the importance of refereeing performance and focusing on what his team can do and the problems they can tackle. "I think I have said it all. When I arrived, I said I didn't want excuses or complaints. We have to win our matches and we know we have let several points slip away. That's our fault. We have to see what we can do", he concluded.