Mar 16, 2025 09:44 AM IST
Ancelotti stood up for his players and said his team would no longer play matches after less than 72 hours’ rest.
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti fired a warning to La Liga as his players were exhausted from playing Villareal within 72 hours after the Atletico Madrid clash in the UEFA Champions League. The Los Blancos did register a 2-1 win on Saturday courtesy of a brace from Kylian Mbappe, but after the final whistle, it didn’t look an idle sight for the players. Mbappe and Jude Bellingham were completely exhausted after the match as they went the full 120 minutes vs Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday and then played the full 90 in their 2-1 comeback win over Villareal.
Ancelotti stood up for his players and said his team would no longer play matches after less than 72 hours’ rest because it puts the footballers under physical strain.
“I think today is the last time we will play a game before 72 hours. We will never play a game with less than that,” Ancelotti told a press conference.
“The team is exhausted, but that was to be expected. It’s a victory that says a lot about our squad and the resources we have.”
In their protest to LaLiga, Real are invoking a FIFA recommendation issued in 2023 for a minimum compulsory rest period of 72 hours between games.
Ancelotti revealed that his club had contacted LaLiga about the scheduling conflicts and asked them to change the timings of the match but had yet to receive an answer.
“We asked LaLiga to change it twice and nothing happened,” he added.
‘We have to respect the club badge’: Mbappe
Mbappe also raised his voice for the tight schedule but he said that the players respect the badge of the club which motivated them to fight till the end.
“Everyone saw the game against Atletico, 120 minutes, a very intense match, it’s hard to play after two days… but we have to respect the club badge and fight until the end, and we did that today and we were able to win,” Mbappe told Real Madrid TV.
Meanwhile, the 2-1 win has helped Real Madrid reclaim the top spot in the La Liga points table with 60 points, but their arch-rivals Barcelona are just three points behind them with two games lesser than them. The Catalan giants will face third-placed Atletico on Sunday.
“The important thing for us was to win today; tomorrow, I will watch the game, but as a football fan. The result doesn’t matter,” Ancelotti said.
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