Ancelotti expresses disappointment over Real Madrid’s quick turnaround with less than 72 hours’ rest

Carlo Ancelotti, the head coach of Real Madrid, announced that his squad will no longer compete in matches with less than 72 hours of recovery time due to the excessive physical demands on the players.

After Real Madrid secured a 2-1 comeback victory against Villarreal, powered by Kylian Mbappe’s two goals, Ancelotti expressed concerns over his team’s fitness, particularly following their recent penalty shootout triumph over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.

“I believe today marks the final time we will play before a 72-hour rest period. We simply won’t participate in any matches with a shorter gap,” Ancelotti stated at the press conference.

“The squad is drained, but that was anticipated. This victory illustrates the depth of our team and the resources available to us.”

The manager mentioned that the club had reached out to LaLiga regarding the issue of fixture scheduling but had yet to receive a response.

Real Madrid currently sits atop the LaLiga table with 60 points, three points ahead of Barcelona in second place, who have a game in hand due to last week’s postponed match against Osasuna. Barcelona is set to face third-placed Atletico on Sunday.

“The priority for us today was to secure the win. I’ll be reviewing the match tomorrow, but purely as a fan of football. The scoreline is secondary,” Ancelotti remarked.