When confronted with the reality of how the referees assisted his team in defeating Bayern Munich 2-1 (4-3 on aggregate) in the Champions League semifinals, Carlo Ancelotti had a choice to go one of two ways.
Analyze the situation for what it was or act like a petulant, entitled old coot.
You can guess what direction he went in after Bayern Munich, its fans, neutrals, and the internet in general, saw some very questionable officiating in the games final moments which allowed one goal for Real Madrid, while nullifying any potential score for the Bavarians.
“Bayern complaining about the offside? OK, then we complain about the cancelled goal of Nacho. (Joshua) Kimmich dived,” Ancelotti said (as captured by @MadridXtra via @iMiaSanMia). “The offside episode is simple to explain. Maybe it wasn’t offside, but the referee whistled (before the goal) and we stopped playing. That’s it.”
On the play in question with Kimmich (which did take away a potential goal from Real Madrid), Nacho gave the Bayern Munich right-back a two-handed shove to the face to clear some space. It was a clear foul that not even the most ardent Madridista would try to defend…or would they?
Who knows?
Looking for more discussion on the game? We’ve got all of the thoughts and analysis you need with our Bavarian Podcast Works — Postgame Show! Check out our takes on Thomas Tuchel’s lineup, how the match played out, and why Real Madrid was able to squeak out (maybe with a little help) a victory in the Champions League. Get the show on Spotify or below:
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