Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti says that he does not have the "freedom of expression" to talk about referee performances for fear of receiving a touchline ban.
14-time Champions League winners Madrid saw two goals chalked off in the opening ten minutes of the 1-1 draw with Sevilla on Saturday evening, in a game marred by racist abuse levelled at winger Vinicius Junior.
The first disallowed goal came courtesy of Federico Valverde, whose effort was correctly ruled out for offside in the build-up, before Jude Bellingham controversially, and rather confusingly, saw his effort struck off because of an alleged foul by Antonio Rudiger.
Ancelotti insisted after the game that he did not want to comment on the incidents for fear of receiving a suspension, saying: "Irony is the only way after this match because I think that if I say what I think about the refereeing I'll receive a lot of games' suspension.
"What I like most at the moment is to sit on the Real Madrid bench. So, to avoid suspensions I don't say what I think and I use a bit of irony."
Ahead of his side's Champions League group stage clash with Braga, Ancelotti again addressed the issue with journalists, and reiterated his belief that he's not able to constructively criticise officials in fear of receiving a touchline ban.
“I have confidence in the referees…sometimes a little more and other times less," the Italian said. "I have to leave the refereeing work to the referees and the truth is that it is a special moment in La Liga, we all know why that is, until that is clarified there will always be this problem.
“You know that I don’t have the freedom of expression to talk about the referees. If I say what I think they suspend me and what I want is to work. If I say what I think, they suspend me. In this sense I don’t have freedom…so I can’t answer this question."
Asked to compare the standard of officiating he's seen in Europe and the other leagues he's worked in, he continued: “There are many things that we have to evaluate.
“The Spanish referee who referees in Spain… referees in Spain. The English referee does not care what they say to him because he returns to England. It is a different pressure, the referees in Europe do not have the same pressure.”
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This article was originally published on 90min as Carlo Ancelotti hits out at La Liga for being silenced over referees.