Gil Marín: "Leaving Real Madrid with 10 players in their stadium are big words"

"Madrid creates such pressure that it is normal for it to affect the people who have to make decisions"

The Atlético manager reflects on the elimination in the Cup and regrets that "the system is like that"

MADRID, 27 Ene. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The CEO of Atlético de Madrid, Miguel Ángel Gil Marín, was against the "system" this Friday, one day after the elimination in the Copa del Rey against Real Madrid in extra time, with a reflection on the "pressure" exercised by the white box on the referees when sanctioning.

"I have the utmost respect for the arbitration group and I am convinced that their intention is always the best, but anyone who observes it from the outside can see that the same thing has almost always happened for decades. Unfortunately no one is surprised anymore, it is not news. It's something very obvious and you just have to remember the story," says the leader on the Atlético website.

After Soto Grado's controversial refereeing in the 3-1 draw that brought down Simeone's men in the Cup quarterfinals, the rojiblanco CEO left a forceful interpretation of what happened. "The CEO has no doubt about what happens in these situations," says the note from Atlético.

"Madrid is a club with a very strong environment, with many interests around it. They create such pressure that it is normal for it to affect the people who have to make decisions. They are aware of what awaits them if they are harmed with a mistake or even with some success. It is common to campaign against those who consider that it harms them," says Gil Marín.

"The system is like that and from Atleti we cannot change it alone. We must compete as far as we can and continue working to have a stronger and fairer sector with all the clubs. That stadium and the color of that shirt should not weigh when to make fair decisions. Our players suffered the consequences of all this pressure yesterday on the field and that outrages me as it does any fan, regardless of the team, who expects there to be a single measuring stick", he adds.

The CEO of Atlético analyzed the biggest arbitration controversy, the second yellow to Savic and the one that Ceballos did not see in the whites. "Yesterday's second yellow card was obvious, unquestionable, adjusted to the regulations. But with 0-1, in the 71st minute, with a ticket to the Cup semifinals at stake in their own stadium, leaving Real Madrid with 10 players is big words", points he.

"We have gotten used to the system. We read pages and pages in the press, hours of radio and television in the days leading up to a derby talking about the need to protect a certain player from a specific team. Honestly, I think that whoever doesn't protected last night was Griezmann or Morata, for example, who kicked them, but that's the system," he says.

Finally, Gil Marín ends up making self-criticism. "I almost never speak, because they quickly accuse you of being a victim, but whoever really knows the DNA of Atlético de Madrid knows that we don't like to make excuses. So that no one doubts: we are responsible for where the team is, if we hadn't past the group stage of the Champions League and being 7 points behind third place in LaLiga. And it's up to us to take advantage of the 20 league games to close the season as high as possible. No excuses, but being aware of how the game works system," he ends.