Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has revealed what hurt him most about the defeat to Arsenal in the Champions League quarter-finals.
The Gunners crushed the Spanish and European champions by an aggregate score of 5-1, beating them home and away in the last eight.
Arsenal won the first leg 3-0 at the Emirates and then secured a 2-1 victory at the Bernabeu to reach the Champions League semi-finals.
There was a heated half-time altercation in the second meeting between the two sides, with Bukayo Saka seen shoving a Real Madrid legend.
Since Real Madrid’s elimination on Wednesday, there has been increased speculation over Ancelotti’s future as manager of the La Liga giants, with ex-Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp rumoured to be a possible replacement.
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There has also been lots of criticism aimed at Real Madrid’s players and the club overall, which has irked Ancelotti, who led the team to the Spanish top-flight title last season as well as the Champions League trophy.
Quizzed in a press conference what had hurt him the most about Real Madrid’s exit to Arsenal, Ancelotti said: ‘That a club that has won so many titles is being questioned.’
Real Madrid are the most successful team in the history of the Champions League, having clinched a record 15 trophies to date.
They are the current holders, having defeated German side Borussia Dortmund in the 2024 Champions League final at Wembley.
But there will be a new club getting their hands on this season’s trophy with only four teams remaining in the Champions League.
Arsenal, who have never won the Champions League in their history, are set for a semi-final clash with French champions Paris Saint-Germain.
La Liga leaders Barcelona lock horns with Italian club Inter Milan in the other semi-final showdown.
Hansi Flick suggested this week that Arsenal, PSG and Inter Milan have an advantage over his Barcelona team – because they’re allowed more time to rest before domestic matches – which may result in less injury problems.
‘Every league protects their clubs, especially when they play in the semi-finals of the Champions League. It’s unbelievable, we have no time to rest,’ Flick told reporters on Friday.
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‘For me, the guys responsible for that – I want to discuss it with them… I don’t want to make excuses or complain.
‘I’m happy we’re not playing on Sunday at 2pm against [Real] Valladolid. But why can’t we play at 6pm like we normally do?
‘Give me one reason. To me, it’s a joke and it affects Spanish football. The rest of the teams in the European leagues benefit.
‘I’m speechless because this situation is unbelievable. In the Bundesliga or Premier League, they take care of their clubs… They (La Liga) have no idea what this (arriving late) means for the players.’
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