Ancelotti Condemns Controversial Referee Call After Narrow Loss to Espanyol

In a nail-biting La Liga clash on Saturday, Carlo Ancelotti voiced his frustration with referee Alejandro Muñiz Ruiz's decision-making after Real Madrid suffered a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Espanyol. The incident in question centered around Espanyol defender Carlos Romero's tackle on Kylian Mbappé, which Ancelotti deemed worthy of a red card. Romero, who had received just a yellow card for the foul in the 61st minute, later scored the only goal of the match in the dying moments, intensifying the controversy surrounding the officiating.

Ancelotti did not hold back in his criticism, labeling the decisions of the officials and the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) as "inexplicable." During the post-match press conference, he stated, "The most important thing is to protect the player. It’s a clear foul and a very ugly challenge. Thankfully, there was no serious injury, but the VAR is there to prevent such oversights. It’s incomprehensible that he wasn’t shown a red card."

Romero later expressed remorse for his challenge, acknowledging the difficulty of stopping a player of Mbappé's caliber. "I knew that it's impossible to stop him on the run. The challenge was a bit ugly; I didn't like that, and I said sorry to him," he said while speaking to DAZN. Espanyol's coach, Manolo González, defended Romero, insisting that there was no malicious intent behind the tackle, which was intended to halt a counterattack rather than inflict harm.

The match was further marred by a contentious decision in the first half when a goal from Vinícius Júnior was disallowed for a supposed foul by Mbappé. Ancelotti commented on the challenging nature of the match, stating, "We did some things well, especially in the second half, where we controlled the game and created numerous chances. We had a goal ruled out and struck the woodwork. Espanyol capitalized on our lapses in defense and managed to snatch the victory."

In addition to their defeat, Madrid suffered an injury setback in the 15th minute when defender Antonio Rüdiger had to be substituted. With crucial matches ahead, including a Copa del Rey quarterfinal against Leganés and a derby against Atlético Madrid, Ancelotti faces growing pressure as injuries mount, losing key players like Dani Carvajal and Éder Militão. Ancelotti remarked, "Rüdiger has a muscular injury, and we will need to evaluate it. We are considering our options, knowing the transfer window is closing soon."