The controversy surrounding refereeing decisions has been one of the most talked-about topics of the 2024-25 La Liga season. After another round of questionable calls in the Getafe match, FC Barcelona coach Hansi Flick made a bold statement regarding referee protection, stating, “We can’t say to specifically protect Lamine Yamal, Vinicius Jr., or Kylian Mbappe.”
The controversy deepened when Barcelona star Yamal posted on social media about an injury sustained during the Getafe match, where no foul was called. Once again, referees found themselves at the center of criticism. When asked if referees should offer extra protection to players like the young star, Flick responded with a plea for fair treatment for all:
“I wouldn’t say that referees should protect Lamine, Vinicius, Mbappe, or any specific player, but all of them. We have the VAR if it’s a really tough foul. But, if they don’t get yellow cards, hard fouls keep being repeated,” Flick said in a press conference ahead of Barcelona’s Copa del Rey clash with Atletico Madrid.
Flick went on to recall instances where his own team had been negatively impacted by similar decisions: “We need to protect players if there’s a foul. It also happened with Dani (Olmo) and (Marc) Casado, where there wasn’t a yellow card. There should be more sensitivity about this. If they see a yellow card, defenders might think twice before committing another foul.
“We have to protect all players, not special players. In Spain, one-on-one situations are highly valued, it’s a special characteristic, especially in Barcelona, and the fans love it, so we must take care of it,” he concluded.
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This statement echoes the situation Real Madrid faced weeks earlier when Mbappe was tackled from behind, and no red card was issued despite the severity of the foul. That incident prompted Madrid to demand action from La Liga, sparking a debate that remains unresolved.
What happened to Yamal?
Yamal reignited the debate when he posted a picture of his bloodied foot on social media, with the caption “It’s not a foul.” The winger referred to a moment in the 60th minute when Dario Essugo and Alex Muñoz tackled him, yet no foul was called.
As for his availability in the upcoming match against Atletico Madrid, Flick offered an upsetting update. “We have to wait. I try to be optimistic about him playing tomorrow, but we have to wait and see what the doctors say,” he stated.
