Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti expressed frustration on Friday over the demanding schedule his team faces, highlighting that his players will have only 72 hours to recover from their grueling Champions League victory before their next LaLiga match.
"I don't understand why we're playing on Saturday, and I hope one day we can change this kind of scheduling," Ancelotti stated bluntly. "Television rights and money come first, and the last thing on anyone's mind is the players' recovery."
The Italian manager's comments come after Real Madrid's physically demanding Champions League round-of-16 match against city rivals Atlético Madrid. The teams battled through 120 minutes of play on Wednesday night before Real Madrid advanced to the quarterfinals against Arsenal following a controversial 4-2 penalty shootout at the Metropolitano.
Ancelotti emphasized the toll that the congested calendar is taking on his squad. "This has been a stressful season and it is because of the calendar [congestion]," he said.
The coach revealed he had given star forward Vinícius Júnior a day off from training on Friday, though he assured the Brazilian would be available for the Villarreal match. "There's nothing wrong with Vinícius, he is just tired so we have given him an extra day of rest, but he'll be back against Villarreal," Ancelotti explained.
He took the opportunity to strongly defend Vinícius amid recent criticisms of the player's performances. "Vinícius is an unquestionable player for us. For me, he plays better or worse sometimes, he might have ups and downs, but he's unquestionable. I will never doubt him regarding his performance, even if he fails sometimes. But he's been so important for this club, and that's why I can not question him."
When asked about UEFA's recent statement regarding potential rule changes following the controversial disallowed penalty for Julián Álvarez in Wednesday's match, Ancelotti remained focused on the upcoming challenges. "I did not realise that and that game is over for us," he said. "We are happy to be in the quarterfinal and not interested in everything that is happening around that game. We are only focused on tomorrow's game, which closes a stage."
Ancelotti acknowledged the physical state of his team heading into the Villarreal match. "We're still in the recovery period, we have to take that into account as we great ready to face a tough opponent," he said. "We have to play an intelligent game."
The scheduling inequity becomes even more apparent when considering that Atlético Madrid will benefit from an additional day of recovery, as they face Barcelona on Sunday rather than Saturday.
