Hansi Flick hits out at referees abuse amid Real Madrid feud | OneFootball

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has demanded that La Liga referees be "protected" amid an "incredible" amount of criticism dished out by many clubs, most notably Real Madrid.

Spain's top flight has been awash with officiating conspiracy theories for years. Each game invariably sparks a "polemica" (debate) about the refereeing team which often supersedes the actions of the players on the pitch. This culture of controversy has hit a new peak this season, with reports claiming that Real Madrid have considered leaving the league entirely in response to this perceived injustice.

While Carlo Ancelotti has rarely turned down the chance to take aim at the division's officials, Flick took a different approach in his press conference on Friday afternoon.

In response to a question about a potential European treble for Barcelona, Flick took it upon himself to proactively discuss the frenzied debate currently engulfing Spanish football.

"I think we are always going to look for excuses," Flick told a surprised group of reporters, "if we lose it is the referee's fault. And no. Everyone can make mistakes, including the referee. But we must protect them because we cannot play without them."

Carlo Ancelotti (left) and Hansi Flick have taken a different tone when it come to referees / Angel Martinez/GettyImages

Jose Luis Munuera Montero, the official who sent Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham off last weekend for using offensive language, has found himself under intense personal scrutiny.

After receiving "more than 100,000 threatening messages, death threats, insults", by his own count, Munuera Montero was accused of having a conflict of interests when it was alleged that his consultancy business counted La Liga and UEFA among its clients. The Spanish federation concluded "there is no real or potential conflict".

"It is incredible what happens to them," Flick said of the division's referees in direct reference to Munuera Montero. "It is incredible what happens to them, and to their families. We have to protect them."

Barcelona's 17-year-old forward Lamine Yamal delivered a very similar verdict earlier this week and Flick explicitly outlined his message to the dressing room. "We must not waste energy arguing with them [referees]," the manager said.

"We have the VAR, we must trust the VAR. For me it's very important. We must take care of the referees. They are human and it's normal to make mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes and we must protect them."