Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has shrugged off Bayern Munich’s complaints after a late goal was disallowed for offside in the Champions League semi-final second leg.
The match saw an early offside flag interrupt play just before Matthijs de Ligt believed he had scored an equalizer deep into stoppage time, leaving both de Ligt and manager Thomas Tuchel incensed at the refereeing decisions.
Ancelotti, however, chose not to dwell on any potential injustices, instead pointing out an earlier decision that went against his team when a goal was disallowed for a foul on Joshua Kimmich.
“The assistant raised the flag, the referee blew the whistle, and play stopped,” Ancelotti remarked. “While it may not have been offside, what’s certain is that the referee blew the whistle.
They complain about their disallowed goal but overlook the one for us, where Kimmich collided with Nacho Fernandez. That should have been a goal.”
In what seemed like a thinly veiled jab at Bayern, Ancelotti lauded his team for their resilience throughout a challenging season marked by numerous setbacks. “It hasn’t been an easy season,” he acknowledged.
“There’s been a lot of talk about injuries to players like Thibaut Courtois, Eder Militao, and David Alaba, but we’ve also been without Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham, and Aurelien Tchouameni for extended periods.
Despite these challenges, the team has capitalized on our injury problems to showcase the depth and value of our squad. We haven’t complained; we’ve overcome it.”
Real Madrid’s hard-fought victory earns them a place in the Champions League final, where they are heavily favored to defeat Borussia Dortmund at Wembley Stadium in June.
Ancelotti remains optimistic about his team’s prospects, focusing on their ability to perform at their best when itmatters most.
