Barcelona boss Hansi Flick has urged referees to "speak up" amid Real Madrid's complaints over the standard of officiating in La Liga.

Referees have been at the centre of real controversy in Spain, with Real submitting a formal complaint to the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) after their 1-0 loss to Espanyol, asking for VAR audio to be released. La Liga president Javier Tebas hit back, insisting that the Liga giants have "lost their minds".

Now, Flick has suggested that La Liga's officials should be willing to go public when it comes to explaining decisions. Barcelona have had their own issues with officials, and are continuing to fight the so-called 'Negreira case', although they no longer stand accused of bribing officials.

Flick told reporters: "Sometimes it would be nice if the referees spoke up. It could be an option, but their job is very hard. If they want to change something, I would be open to it."