Carlo Ancelotti: If I say what I think, I'll get banned for a lot of games

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti showed two sides after his side's draw at the Sánchez-Pizjuán against Sevilla. Asked about the work of the referee, Basque Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea, he said he thought he "did well, a good game" and that "he got everything right. He stopped the counter-attack to preserve the health of a player", which is why he considered that "he played a good match". 

Afterwards, however, he told the Real Madrid TV microphones the truth: "Irony is the only way. Because if I say what I think, I get a lot of games. So to avoid suspensions, I use irony.

"We started well but we didn't take our chances and Sevilla upped the intensity and were a bit better," said the Madrid coach, who added that it was "a very competitive game, with a lot of duels".

On Vinícius Junior's game, he commented that "in the first half he made his contribution to the team. He created a lot of chances" and that they were "very close to scoring", but that in "the second half it was more complicated, there was a lack of energy and we suffered a bit more without having the control we wanted".

He also referred to midfielder Bellingham and goalkeeper Kepa and said that "they played their game" and that he is "quite satisfied with the team's performance. After the break there "are always games that can trip you up" so they leave "with a draw and ready for the next game".

"We have to take into account the opponent who also put a lot of energy into the game," said the Italian, who referred to the performance of Brazilian Rodrygo Goes after he went another game without scoring.

"For me today Rodrygo was one of the best, if not the best. He had clear chances, he had more shots than the others, he tried everything. He didn't score, that's OK, the important thing is that he continues to play well," Ancelotti added.