On the eve of Real Madrid’s highly anticipated Champions League showdown against Manchester City, Carlo Ancelotti did not hold back his frustration with La Liga refereeing.
The Italian coach, who has frequently voiced concerns about officiating in Spain, once again made his displeasure clear in his latest press conference.
Refereeing has been a hot topic in Spain for several weeks, with Real Madrid feeling they have been repeatedly wronged by controversial decisions. The club was particularly outraged after their recent defeat to Espanyol Barcelona, where Carlos Romero, who scored the winning goal, should have been sent off for a dangerous tackle on Kylian Mbappé.
Adding fuel to the fire, a goal disallowed for Vinicius Jr left Madridistas furious. In response, the club issued multiple statements criticizing the referees and even sent a formal complaint to the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF). However, their protest was met with strong opposition from La Liga, the RFEF, and other Spanish clubs, who accused Real Madrid of undermining the league’s integrity.
Speaking to the media ahead of the Manchester City match, Ancelotti didn’t hesitate to express his dissatisfaction. “I comment on what I see, and in these last three matches, there have been very obvious mistakes,” he stated. When asked whether Madrid’s formal complaint could backfire, he avoided the subject but was more than willing to discuss VAR’s flaws. “I think VAR has taken too much responsibility away from the referees, and that’s dangerous. It was introduced to correct clear and obvious errors, not to interfere in every decision,” he explained. Highlighting questionable penalties against Eduardo Camavinga and Aurélien Tchouaméni, he added, “Referees can make mistakes, but when VAR steps in and still gets it wrong, it’s impossible to understand.”
Interestingly, Ancelotti noted that officiating in the Champions League is far superior to that in La Liga. “The statistics speak for themselves. There is less controversy, fewer unnecessary VAR interventions, and only the best referees are chosen,” he said, clearly taking another jab at Spanish officials. With tensions rising between Real Madrid and La Liga’s refereeing body, Ancelotti’s latest comments are sure to add more fire to an already heated debate.