Real Madrid beat Athletic Club 1-0 on Sunday, and Carlo Ancelotti - who got his second win in the last five matches - was still not a happy man.
I mean, his job is on the line, so you can kind of guess why. But also, something happened in the game that made him a mad man.
Real Madrid won, but the referee was in the limelight more than he would have wanted to. Real Madrid got a goal disallowed, which was harsh, albeit the correct decision. That is fine, but then Real Madrid also appealed for a penalty which was not given.
Real Madrid were denied a blatant penalty against Athletic Club
Jude Bellingham was fouled inside the box, and it was pretty clear that it was a penalty, but the referee did not give it after a quick VAR check. That was just very annoying to all Madrid fans and the players as well, as that was a decision that should have gone their way.
After the match, Ancelotti slyly talked about the decision. by saying: “This is football today, Vinícius’ goal being disallowed was automatic, but what was not automatic was VARs failure to check for the penalty on Bellingham.”
He is right. The goal, even though it was the correct decision, was harsh but true. This, on the other hand, was clearer and it made complete sense to give it, but the referee just thought not to.
Real Madrid complain about the referees many times, but they always have a point. These things happen more often than not, which has started to get annoying for fans and the club itself.
Real Madrid won against Athletic, but if they had not scored the last minute winner, this penalty would have been an even bigger talking point. Thankfully, Fede Valverde decided to go into beast mode, but if that was not the case, more and more people would have been talking about it, and again, rightfully so.