‘It’s not fair play’ - Hansi Flick takes aim at Real Madrid amid Copa del Rey Final referee controversy

Hansi Flick took aim at Real Madrid for the controversy surrounding Copa del Rey Final referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoechea, who will be under a lot more scrutiny than usual on Saturday.

It all started on Thursday when Real Madrid TV, as they often do, produced a video accusing Bengoechea of bias against Madrid, citing Barça’s superior winning percentage in matches officiated by Ricardo in comparison to them as proof that they are certain to be cheated out of the trophy this weekend.

Bengoechea responded to the video in a press conference on Friday and revealed his son has been subject to bullying due to the situation, and Madrid are now requesting that the referee be replaced due to “recent events”. For clarity, the “recent events” are the ones they themselves caused.

Flick was asked in a press conference on Friday about the controversy, and took aim at Madrid for a lack of fair play in the way they are treating the referee and the game as a whole.

“For me, it’s just sport, it’s just football. We have to protect everyone involved in the game. The fans, they all want to see the players, how they play. We need the referees, and we have to look after them and be careful. It’s not fair play not to look after them, it’s not showing them respect. “We have to enjoy the Final. We have a young team. It will be a great experience for a young group. There are no favorites in a final. We want to start well and fight for the title.”

Flick takes the classy route as usual, but he also doesn’t shy away from blaming Real Madrid for the mess they decided to create out of nowhere to throw unnecessary fuel into the fire. They have more than enough talent to win the game without any help, and Barça have also proven twice this season that they don’t need help to beat Real Madrid pretty convincingly.

Can’t we just play the game? Like, the football game? And let the best team win?

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