Furious Carlo Ancelotti blasts referee, labels penalty ‘invented’ after Real Madrid draw with Girona

Ancelotti famously reacted to his team’s historic Champions League comeback against Manchester City last season by barely raising an eyebrow, but the dropped points against Girona provoked a more significant reaction.

The visitors earned a draw at the Bernabeu in no small part due to an 80th minute penalty converted by Cristhian Stuani, which the Los Blancos coach suggested the officials had “invented”.

Speaking to the press after the match, Ancelotti said: “I don’t like to speak about these things, but I’m going speak about it. It’s quite clear that it’s not a penalty because it doesn’t hit his hand as it hit his chest.

“His left hand was in a strange position, and if he touched the ball with his hand there could be a doubt. But he didn’t. They invented it. That affected the game.”

With Madrid leading in the 78th minute, and defending a Girona corner, Marco Asensio was judged to have committed a handball after the intervention of the Video Assistant Referee.

The Spain winger appeared to be unsighted and had his arm clamped to his side, but VAR awarded the spot-kick.

Madrid veteran Dani Carvajal was equally incensed. After the match he said: “Impossible…it’s not possible.”

Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois for his part said: “I don’t think that would have been given in the Champions League. It’s very rare. Sometimes it’s a handball, sometimes not. We don’t know when it’s the case.”

Stuani converted the resultant spot-kick to level the scores, but Madrid’s frustrations weren’t over yet.

In the 90th minute, Rodrygo raced onto a Mariano Diaz pass and put the ball in the net, but the goal was disallowed when the referee judged the Brazilian to have fouled Girona goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga.

Ancelotti had resumed control of himself when he reached that issue. He said: “The Rodrygo one you can have an opinion on, if the goalkeeper had possession of the ball. I won’t say.”

Despite Ancelotti’s frustrations, Real Madrid sit top of La Liga and remain unbeaten after the first 12 matches of the season.

Undoubtedly dropping points at home to a team which began the day in the relegation zone is frustrating, but Madrid’s title defence remains very much in their own hands.