“Everyone could see it” - Carlo Ancelotti hits out at ‘inexplicable’ decision from referee and VAR after Real Madrid suffer 1-0 loss vs Espanyol

Carlo Ancelotti has slammed the referee for not sending off Espanyol's Carlos Romero for his foul on Kylian Mbappe, as Real Madrid lost 1-0 in LaLiga on Saturday (February 1). The Spaniard went on to score the lone goal of the match. Los Blancos are still at the top of the table after 22 games.

Speaking to the media after the match, Ancelotti claimed that Romero should have been sent off. The Italian manager opined that the tackle from behind just after the hour-mark during a counter-attack was clear and the referee, along with VAR, failed to make the right decision. He said (via the club's official website):

"The decision made by the referee and the VAR is inexplicable. The most important thing is to protect the player and it was a clear foul, a really nasty tackle with a risk of injury. Fortunately, nothing happened, but there was a risk. The VAR is also there for this. We think the decision not to show a red card is inexplicable."

When asked about his thoughts on Spanish referees, the Italian added:

"I don't want to talk about this issue. I'm only talking about what happened today in the match and, I repeat, we find the decision they took to be inexplicable when everyone could see it."

Real Madrid are at the top of the table with 49 points from 22 matches. They are just a point ahead of Atletico Madrid, while Barcelona can cut the lead to four points if they beat Deportivo Alaves in the league on Sunday (February 2).

Carlo Ancelotti on Real Madrid's loss to Espanyol

Despite the loss, Carlo Ancelotti opined that Real Madrid controlled the game well against Espanyol. He said it was a tough clash and that the counter-attack from the opponents caught them off guard.

Ancelotti said (via the club's official website):

"It was a difficult, tough game. We did some things well, we had good control, especially in the second half. We had a goal disallowed, hit the post and had 20 shots on goal. The game was under control, but Espanyol, who played very well on the counterattack, caught us off guard and scored. They had the game they wanted."

Real Madrid next face Leganes in the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey on Wednesday (February 5). They have the derby against Atletico Madrid next weekend (February 8) before facing Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League (February 11).