Pau Cubarsi dismisses Madrid refereeing debate as Barcelona prepare for Galatasaray test

Pau Cubarsi says he is not interested in the refereeing debate in Madrid and is focused instead on what Barcelona can deliver when they face Galatasaray in the second round of the Champions League league phase.

Barcelona travel to face Galatasaray on Tuesday, having opened their European campaign with a 5-1 victory over Feyenoord.

Asked about the discussion surrounding refereeing in Madrid, defender Cubarsi said: “I don’t focus on that. I care about the things I can influence, which are my team and what we can offer our fans.”

Barcelona are third in the league-phase table on three points, level on goal difference with Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain.

Cubarsi said the team’s strong start had brought confidence, while stressing that Barcelona must maintain their current standards.

“We don’t feel invincible, but we are going through a good period and have confidence,” he said. “We have to continue along this path.”

The defender has played a significant number of minutes this season, meaning Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has been managing his involvement. Cubarsi, however, said he remains eager to feature whenever possible.

“I have played a lot of minutes, so the manager tries to manage my appearances,” he said. “But I am always ready and I want to play every minute of every match. That is what I enjoy doing most.”

Galatasaray will provide another test for Barcelona, with Cubarsi warning that the Turkish side are clear about their approach and will benefit from playing at home.

Barcelona have previously faced Victor Osimhen, although Cubarsi acknowledged that the striker and Galatasaray may have changed since their earlier meeting.

“We played against Victor Osimhen a few years ago, and perhaps some things have changed since then,” he said. “Galatasaray are a team that know exactly what they want, and they will be playing at home, which is important. We have to be alert to their attacks.”

Barcelona will aim to build on their emphatic win against Feyenoord as they continue their Champions League campaign.