Gerard Pique Questions Real Madrid's Basketball Complaints After Controversy

Barcelona defender Gerard Pique has weighed in on the controversial end to the Copa del Rey final basketball showdown between the Blaugrana and Real Madrid, taking a swipe at the latter's football team in the process. 

Madrid were beaten 94-93 by rivals Barcelona on Sunday, and afterwards the capital club complained about a number of decisions from the officials that went the way of their rivals.

Pique was asked about the calls and said complaints from Madrid teams are common in both basketball and football, making reference to the recent 3-1 win Real enjoyed at local rivals Atletico Madrid, per Goal:

"[Madrid's complaints] happen in football, it happens in basketball, at least they don't have any other sports because we'd have to suffer it in hockey and handball too.

"Then they go to the Wanda, the referees help them and then they shut up and don't complain. There were mistakes [in the Copa final] in Madrid's favour first and then in Barca's favour. And well, later we had this whole show from Madrid with the referees."

Pique was speaking to reporters in the mixed zone about the basketball showpiece following his team's 0-0 draw at Lyon in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday.

In the basketball clash the disputes came at the end of an absorbing game, in which Barcelona recovered from a 14-point deficit to take the title.

Real's Jeffery Taylor appeared to be obstructed with three seconds remaining, although no call came. Then in the final second, with Los Blancos a point ahead, Madrid's Anthony Randolph was adjudged to have fouled Ante Tomic, allowing Barcelona the chance to seize victory in overtime:

As the Real Madrid Info account relayed, Real Madrid released the following statement demanding an explanation of the decisions:

According to Ed Malyon of The Independent, Madrid are so unhappy about the way in which the basketball showdown between the two outfits was refereed that president Florentino Perez is considering pulling his football team out of football's Copa del Rey and the basketball squad from the ACB, the sport's governing body in Spain.

It's added Los Blancos want to see punishments for officials Juan Carlos Garcia Gonzalez, Miguel Angel Perez Perez and Benjamin Jimenez.

The win for Barcelona's basketball team gave them their 25th Copa del Rey prize. Given the recent comments from Pique, who has never been the most popular man among Madridistas, it's unlikely the spiky conversations around this controversy will simmer down any time soon.