Carlo Ancelotti, head coach of Real Madrid, made his stance clear after his team’s comeback win against Valencia at Mestalla. The Italian manager argued that the red card shown to Vinícius Jr was unwarranted and that both the Brazilian and the opposing goalkeeper, Dimitrievski, should have received yellow cards instead.

"We don’t think it was a red card; it should’ve been two yellows. First, there’s a touch from Dimitrievski, then from Vinícius. I don’t think Vinícius fell for the trap, but we will appeal," said Ancelotti in his post-match press conference.

Responding to adversity

The coach also praised his team’s ability to overcome obstacles, including Vinícius Jr's dismissal, a missed penalty, and a disallowed goal. “It’s hard to explain how poorly we played in the first half and how well we reacted in the second, even with 10 players. We can’t show these two faces," he stated.

Ancelotti described the victory as "fair and deserved," highlighting the improved performance after halftime:

• "The first half was very poor, lacking balance. Valencia started stronger."
• "In the second half, despite all the difficulties, we did a great job."

Penalties: A recurring issue

The coach expressed frustration over the team’s third missed penalty of the season and took responsibility for deciding the future penalty takers. He also explained why Bellingham's missed penalty wasn’t retaken, even though Dimitrievski had both feet off the line: "It wasn’t retaken because he didn’t make contact with the ball."

Despite the mistake, Ancelotti commended Bellingham's attitude, noting how the miss motivated him to keep contributing to the team: “The missed penalty gave him extra drive. He didn’t give up and worked well alongside Mbappé.”