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The Real Madrid boss was highly critical of the referee in Los Blancos’ loss to Espanyol

Real Madrid suffered a surprising 1-0 defeat to Espanyol on Saturday, marking their first La Liga loss of 2025.

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However, the league leaders were left furious over key refereeing decisions, particularly the failure to send off matchwinner Carlos Romero for a reckless challenge on Kylian Mbappe.

Ancelotti slams officiating after Romero avoids red card

Following the match, Real Madrid’s boss Carlo Ancelotti did not hold back in his criticism of referee Alejandro Muniz Ruiz and VAR for allowing Romero to stay on the pitch.

The Espanyol player, who eventually scored the only goal of the game, was booked for a dangerous tackle on Mbappe, but Real Madrid felt he should have been sent off.

“The decision that has been taken is inexplicable by both the referee and VAR. Because we have all seen what has happened,” Ancelotti said post-match, as quoted by Diario AS.

“The most important thing is to watch and protect the player. It was a clear foul, a very ugly tackle, with risk and, fortunately, it didn’t happen, but there was a risk of injury. VAR is also there for this. It seems inexplicable to us that red was not shown,” Ancelotti concluded.

Madrid derby looms as title race tightens

The loss means Real Madrid’s lead at the top of La Liga has been cut to just one point, with city rivals Atletico Madrid closing in after a 2-0 victory over Mallorca.

With the Madrid derby set for next weekend, the stakes are higher than ever, but Ancelotti believes his side are up for the fight.

Speaking after the Espanyol loss, Ancelotti said, “We had chances and could have scored, but despite the defeat, we are still in the fight. We have to focus on the next game. We could have done better, the result was deserved.”

Adding to Madrid’s woes, Antonio Rudiger was forced off with a muscle injury in the first half, and with a crucial showdown against Atletico Madrid approaching, Real Madrid will need to bounce back quickly to avoid slipping further in the title race.