Ahead of the match against Valencia, Hansi Flick defended the referees and distanced himself from Real Madrid's position, as the club has intensified its complaints about officiating in recent days.

"To be honest, I don’t want to talk about this. They have done it that way, but that’s not our style—I wouldn’t do it," said the FC Barcelona coach, making his stance clear.

The German coach added: "We don’t make excuses. Every coach and club has their own reasons for saying things. We are human and we make mistakes, just like referees do. Their job is difficult, and we must respect it."

Although Flick avoided going deeper into the issue to keep the press conference from being dominated by refereeing controversies, he did address the Real Madrid statement in which the club expressed dissatisfaction with recent officiating decisions.

Flick focuses on the match against Valencia

The Barcelona coach emphasized that his team must focus on improving their performance: "I think I’ve said everything. When I arrived, I made it clear that I didn’t want excuses or complaints. We’ve let points slip away, and that’s our responsibility. Now we have to focus on winning in Valencia."

Without directly mentioning their eternal rival, Flick sent a clear message to Real Madrid, reaffirming his commitment to self-criticism and hard work on the pitch.

Olmo returns, caution with Gavi

Barcelona midfielder Dani Olmo, who has been sidelined since January 18 due to muscle overload, will be available for the match against Valencia, according to Hansi Flick. However, the coach confirmed that midfielder Pablo Páez Gavira "Gavi" will miss the Copa del Rey quarterfinal due to precautionary measures.

In the pre-match press conference ahead of cup match, the German coach explained that Gavi, who has trained separately for the past two sessions after suffering a concussion in the last game against Alavés, must follow FIFA's concussion protocol.

"In Gavi’s case, there is a protocol, and he is not an option for tomorrow. He trained separately today, and it’s good that he won’t play because the hit was very hard, even for the opponent, who also suffered an injury," he explained.