Carlo Ancelotti is confident Kylian Mbappe & Vinicius Jr will avoid being banned for Real Madrid’s Champions League clash with Arsenal.
…Mbappe & Vinicius under UEFA probe
…Could be banned for alleged “indecent conduct”
…If found guilty could be banned against Arsenal
WHAT HAPPENED?
On Thursday, UEFA confirmed that an Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector is looking into the conduct of Mbappe, Vinicius, Antonio Rudiger, and Dani Ceballos after Real Madrid’s victory over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League Round of 16. One of the incidents involves Rudiger, who was caught on camera allegedly making a throat-slitting gesture towards Atletico Madrid supporters. Additionally, a viral footage on social media appears to show Mbappe making a crotch-grabbing gesture towards the fans.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
If UEFA finds the players guilty of inappropriate conduct, they could face punishments ranging from fines to suspensions, which would be a significant blow for Los Blancos ahead of their Champions League quarter-final tie against Arsenal. Nonetheless, Ancelotti downplayed the controversy, insisting that his players did not engage in any wrongdoing.
WHAT ANCELOTTI SAID
“We believe everything was correct, and we hope UEFA makes a decision, but we trust that everything will end well,” Ancelotti told reporters.
While UEFA has not explicitly detailed the specific incidents under investigation, Spanish media reports suggest that Atletico Madrid lodged an official complaint over Real Madrid players allegedly taunting their fans, which led to objects being thrown onto the pitch from the stands.
“We are confident in UEFA’s verdict as the players had just celebrated. That’s it, we wait for verdict, but our players didn’t do anything wrong.”
DID YOU KNOW?
While Madrid awaits UEFA’s verdict, Ancelotti remains focused on the domestic title race, where his side is locked in a tight battle with Barcelona. Despite trailing their Catalan rivals by three points, the Italian tactician has vowed that his team will fight until the very end to retain their La Liga crown.
“Barcelona has an advantage, but we are going to fight until the end. I hope we have 17 matches [in all competitions] left until the end,” Ancelotti said.
WHAT NEXT FOR REAL MADRID?
Madrid will return to La Liga action on Saturday when they host Leganes, while Barcelona face Girona a day later. Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid, who currently sit four points behind Real Madrid in second place, will visit Espanyol on Saturday.
Goal
