Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone has urged Spanish football to cut their referees some slack.

Ahead of their Copa del Rey clash with Sevilla, Simeone was asked about the VAR controversy around Real Madrid's win at Almeria.

"What we all need is the peace of mind that things are natural," he said. "We can all be wrong, nobody is perfect. When everything is done naturally, everything flows. The referees are under a lot of pressure. But it is best to be quiet, run and let the referees act."

Regarding the comparison of controversies between the Real Madrid-Almería and Granada-Atlético, the Argentine chose to make a vow of silence.

"It's so difficult ... Depending on the side you wear there is always something. The referees are going through a lot of pressure. Then we can discuss if the audios are okay: not that they leak them, but what happens in them. They think we are all stupid and it makes us angry."