Hansi Flick said he would not be drawn into the refereeing controversy before Barcelona's Clasico against Real Madrid at Camp Nou. GOAL described the match as the standout fixture of the 10th round of the Spanish league, and Flick spoke at Saturday's press conference as he completed his plans for it.
Flick's response on refereeing
Asked whether the row over the referees might affect the officiating of the Clasico, the Barcelona coach said: "It won't have an effect. I trust the refereeing, and we are seeing a good level of officiating, and each one of us has to protect his players."
On that point he told AS: "I prefer to focus on preparing my team. This topic is linked to newspaper headlines, and I don't want any catchy headline. All I want is to focus on my team."
Plan for dealing with Mbappe
On how Barcelona will handle the threat of Mbappe, Flick said: "The most important thing is that we position ourselves well on the pitch, with and without the ball, and that we maintain the cohesion of the defensive line. If we execute everything correctly, then defending against the attacks will be easier for our back line."
Cubarsi and Gerard Martin
Flick said: "Cubarsi and Gerard are in very good form, and what they are producing is amazing. They are developing together."