Ancelotti Fumes at Refereeing Decisions as Real Madrid Held to Draw

Carlo Ancelotti was left fuming after Real Madrid were held to a 1-1 draw at Osasuna, with the Italian manager disputing several key refereeing decisions.

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti was left incensed by the officiating in their 1-1 draw at Osasuna on Saturday, a result that stretched their winless LaLiga streak to three games. Ancelotti expressed his frustration with the VAR system, citing three incidents that he believed warranted penalty kicks.

The Italian manager felt that Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham were both fouled inside the box, while he also pointed to an apparent handball by Osasuna's Alejandro Catena. Ancelotti's discontent with the refereeing decisions underscored a frustrating outing for Real Madrid, who were unable to secure a much-needed win in LaLiga.

Carlo Ancelotti's frustration with the refereeing decisions continued to mount as Real Madrid were held to a 1-1 draw at Osasuna. Already irked by Jude Bellingham's straight red card in the first half, Ancelotti was further incensed early in the second half when the referee awarded Osasuna a penalty after consulting the VAR. The penalty was given for Eduardo Camavinga's stomp on Ante Budimir's foot inside Real's box, and the Croatian striker duly converted from the spot to cancel out Kylian Mbappe's first-half opener.

Ancelotti's discontent was evident in his post-match comments, as he sought to express his frustration without incurring further disciplinary action. “I believe there were things that have happened in these last three games that everyone has seen and I don't want to add more, because I'm looking forward to being on the bench in the next game,” Ancelotti told a press conference on Saturday. He also revealed that he had been booked by the referee for protesting a handball decision. ”The referee booked me after I told him that there was a handball in Osasuna's penalty area and that he should have gone and check it on the VAR... They must have turned on the VAR later...”

Carlo Ancelotti expressed his discontent with the red card issued to Jude Bellingham in the 39th minute, disputing the claim that the English midfielder had insulted the referee. Ancelotti argued that Bellingham's actions did not warrant a sending-off, which added to the Italian manager's frustration with the officiating.

🚨 Carlo Ancelotti: “The referee hasn't understood English well. Jude Bellingham told him “F*ck off” he didn't tell him “F*ck you”. He’s wrong, the translations are not the same as Spanish.” pic.twitter.com/s9TXxf4fN2

— Madrid Zone (@theMadridZone) February 15, 2025

Ancelotti's complaints about the refereeing decisions are the latest in a series of grievances expressed by Real Madrid. Earlier in February, the club had formally complained about the standard of refereeing in LaLiga. Despite the controversy, Real Madrid managed to secure a point from the match, maintaining their position at the top of the LaLiga standings.

The title race is shaping up to be intensely competitive, with Real Madrid holding a slender lead. They currently sit on 51 points, just one point ahead of second-placed Atletico Madrid and three points clear of third-placed Barcelona, who have a game in hand.