Real Madrid Boss Ancelotti Criticizes Players After Surprise Mallorca Draw

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti was not happy with his players after their unexpected 1-1 draw against Mallorca on Sunday. He called for them to focus more and improve their defense in the future.

Real Madrid's head coach, Carlo Ancelotti, was not happy with his players after their unexpected 1-1 draw against Mallorca on Sunday. He urged them to focus more and improve their defense for future games, among other things.

The away team scored first at Son Moix, just 15 minutes into the game, thanks to Rodrygo. However, they quickly gave up a goal to Muriqi eight minutes into the second half, allowing the home team to equalize.

Controlling the midfield for the majority of the match, it was widely believed that Madrid were not at their best and Ancelotti agreed, stating that his team did not play well despite a strong start.

"We must find greater equilibrium. As previously mentioned, our offensive play is strong, but balance is essential," Ancelotti added.

When questioned about how he plans to achieve this balance, Ancelotti explained that it is crucial for the players to be "on the same page."

"When we regain possession of the ball, we need to consider our collective responsibilities. While it may seem like the striker's issue, it could actually stem from the defense or midfield players."

"It's not just one, two, or three players at fault here. The entire team failed to grasp the key aspect of this match. Mallorca outperformed us defensively and played a great game. The draw is a fair result," stated the Italian coach.

Although Ancelotti thought a draw was a just outcome, he wasn't particularly happy about it.

"Previously, I was content with a few ties, but today is a different story," he expressed. "We had the potential to achieve more. I don't want to justify our performance. We simply needed to step up, show more determination. These games can provide valuable lessons. The issue is evident."

"The issue is that the team was too exposed," Ancelotti elaborated during another part of his interview after the game. "We need to focus more, as we typically do. It's not a physical or mental issue."

Continuing with the identical starting team that triumphed in the UEFA Super Cup earlier in the week, Ancelotti mentioned that "we didn't make a lot of alterations last year, but once we start playing in the Champions League, we will switch things up more often".

"When discussing our performance defensively, we were subpar... We must enhance it. We are focused on changing our attitude and coming together as a team," he concluded.