On Friday, Carlo Ancelotti, the coach of Real Madrid, shared his frustration with the busy schedule his team is facing. After a tough match in the Champions League against Atlético Madrid that ended in a penalty shootout, Ancelotti pointed out that the team only has 72 hours to recover before their next game against Villarreal in LaLiga on Saturday. He said, “I find it hard to understand why we have to play on Saturday, and I hope we can rethink this kind of schedule in the future.” Ancelotti expressed that it seems like TV schedules and money are prioritized over the players’ need to rest.

The rivalry between Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid played out in a thrilling 120 minutes, ending with Real Madrid moving on to the quarterfinals against Arsenal after a tense penalty shootout at the Metropolitano Stadium. Ancelotti mentioned that this season has been particularly stressful due to the packed fixture list.

To help manage player fatigue, Ancelotti decided to give Vinícius Júnior a day off from training on Friday. He explained that although Vinícius would be ready to play against Villarreal, he needed some extra time to recover. “Vinícius is doing well; he’s just a bit tired, so we gave him another day to rest. He’ll be ready for the game,” Ancelotti said. He emphasized how important Vinícius is to the team, stating that, despite any ups and downs in his performance, he remains a key player. “I have complete confidence in his abilities, and his contributions to this team are invaluable.”

After UEFA announced on Thursday that they plan to talk with FIFA and IFAB about possibly changing the rule that disallowed Julián Álvarez’s penalty in Wednesday’s game, Ancelotti said that it’s not something he can control. He mentioned, “I wasn’t aware of that, and that game is now in the past.”

Ancelotti expressed satisfaction with reaching the quarterfinals and said they are not worried about the events surrounding that particular game. “Our main focus is on tomorrow’s match, which is important for us. We are still recovering, and we need to keep that in mind as we prepare to face a tough opponent,” he added.

On the other hand, Atlético Madrid has had a bit of an advantage with their La Liga schedule, getting an extra day to rest before their match against Barcelona on Sunday.