Manchester City's Spanish manager Pep Guardiola (L) and Real Madrid's Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti hug prior the UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg football match between Real Madrid CF and Manchester City at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on May 9, 2023. (Photo by JAVIER SORIANO / AFP) (Photo by JAVIER SORIANO/AFP via Getty Images)JAVIER SORIANO/AFP via Getty Images

Real Madrid's Carlo Ancelotti: 'Referee Didn't Pay Attention' in Manchester City Draw

Timothy RappMay 9, 2023

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti was not pleased with the officiating in Tuesday's 1-1 Champions League semifinal draw against Manchester City

In particular, he was miffed with the ball appearing to go out of play before Kevin De Bruyne's second-half equalizer.

"The ball was off the pitch," he told reporters. "That's it. Technology said it. I don't understand why VAR didn't check it. The referee didn't pay attention to many things tonight."

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The primary counterargument to Ancelotti is that the goal itself still ultimately came after a Real Madrid turnover, which arguably created a new sequence of play.

And from a more aesthetic standpoint, it would have been a borderline tragedy to disallow such a breathtaking goal on a technicality.

Either way, the goal stood, Ancelotti isn't happy about it and the two sides will battle for a place in the final in eight days.