Real Madrid’s head coach, Carlo Ancelotti, has labelled Barcelona’s recent complaints about alleged referee influence in La Liga as “unprofessional.”
The controversy arose after Barcelona’s president, Joan Laporta, and coach, Xavi Hernandez, criticised Real Madrid’s television channel for airing videos that questioned the impartiality of match officials.
Xavi further accused La Liga of being “completely adulterated” due to the supposed sway Real Madrid holds over referees.
In a press conference on Saturday, Ancelotti expressed his disdain for the accusations, emphasising his professionalism and respect for Spanish football.
“I’m a professional, and as such, I will not lower myself to that level,” Ancelotti stated, refusing to further engage in the dispute.
This comes as Real Madrid leads La Liga, positioned 10 points ahead of fourth-place Barcelona and third-place Atletico Madrid, who are slated to face Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday.
Ancelotti also touched upon his team’s current defensive challenges, highlighting the potential absence of Antonio Rudiger due to an injury, alongside the injuries of Eder Militao and David Alaba. This may lead to Ancelotti deploying a midfielder, possibly Eduardo Camavinga, as a makeshift centre-back for the upcoming derby.
Despite the controversy and the team’s defensive predicaments, Ancelotti showed confidence in his squad’s versatility and preparedness for the match against Atletico Madrid.