Carlo Ancelotti rants on Real Madrid being ‘disadvantaged’ by ANOTHER refereeing decision – as Jude Bellingham’s red card row could see club ‘leave La Liga’
- Los Blancos are in the throes of a controversial feud with LaLiga’s referees
- Bellingham was given marching orders after swearing during Saturday’s clash
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Carlo Ancelotti is adamant that he has ‘nothing to say’ on the refereeing controversy gripping his Real Madrid side after Jude Bellingham’s sending off on Saturday, but that he remains ‘unhappy’ with decisions against his side.
The England international was handed a straight red card for reportedly saying ‘f*** off’ in the direction of referee Jose Luis Munuera Montero during the 39th minute of his side’s draw with against Osasuna.
But Munuera Montero has argued that the 21-year-old actually said ‘f*** you’ to him, earning him the sending-off for foul or abusive language.
The incident – and the linguistic differences between the two phrases – has been widely discussed by Spanish media, with some outlets claiming that Real Madrid are thought to be so angry with the apparent inconsistencies in officiating that the side are considering a move away from LaLiga.
Ancelotti staunchly defended his player in the wake of the draw with their LaLiga rivals, and continues to be disappointed with the standard of refereeing in Spain.
Speaking in his press conference ahead of facing off with Manchester City in their Champions League play-off tie, Ancelotti said: ‘(I have) nothing to say, I have already given my opinion on what has happened and is happening.
Carlo Ancelotti shared his disappointment in LaLiga’s officiating during his press conference
Jude Bellingham was given a straight red card after an alleged misunderstanding with referee Jose Luis Munuera Montero
‘It is quite surprising and I have nothing to add. We are not happy with what happened against Osasuna, Atlético… three games in which we were disadvantaged and I do not understand it.’
Ancelotti added that he had less concern about officiating standards in the European top flight because ‘the statistics speak for themselves.’
‘In Europe, there is less controversy and fewer interventions, it is done when necessary,’ Ancelotti continued. ‘In the Champions League the best referees from each country officiate and the quality is very high.’
The former Chelsea and AC Milan head coach added that he hoped that his player ‘would not be sanctioned’ for his actions and would remain available as the team sit level on points at the top of the table with Barcelona.
Monday saw Real Madrid meet with the refereeing council (CTA) over another officiating issue which took place at the start of the month during their clash with Espanyol.
Real Madrid met with CTA on Monday to discuss the challenge Carlos Romero levied at Kylian Mbappe when the side met Espanyol
Kylian Mbappe was brought down in a crunching tackle by Carlos Romero in the 61st minute of their February 1 meeting, but in a move deemed ‘inexplicable’ by Ancelotti after the final whistle, Romero was only handed a yellow card instead of a straight red.
The defender then remained on the pitch to score the 85th-minute winner for his side – and to apologise to Mbappe at full-time for the clumsiness of the challenge.
As per Marca, Real Madrid sources shared that ‘the CTA (denied) a negative bias towards Madrid, but the club sees it, and has expressed it as such’.
