Carlo Ancelotti has criticized the condition of Cacereno’s pitch after Real Madrid’s hard-fought 1-0 Copa del Rey victory on Tuesday, saying “you can’t play football” on the surface.
Madrid’s opponents from the fourth tier played hard against the European and La Liga champions, but Rodrigo’s superb strike in the 69th minute was enough for Ancelotti’s team to reach the 1/8 finals.
The poor coverage standard at Estadio Principe Felipe made it difficult for Madrid to get going as they went to great lengths to avoid a major upset.
Ancelotti was disappointed with the quality of the turf, telling reporters, “You can’t play football. For me it’s not football, it’s a different sport.
“It’s nice because small teams can fight and compete with bigger teams. It’s good for the fans, but the fans also want to see good games.”
one – @realmadriden for the first time since January 2020, they kept a draw in the Copa del Rey (a 4-0 victory over Zaragoza), breaking a series of five consecutive games missed in the tournament.
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— OptaJose (@OptaJose) January 3, 2023
Despite Madrid’s weak performance against a side three leagues below him, Ancelotti was pleased with his side’s performance, saying: “Rodrigo put on a fantastic performance, otherwise the game was smooth and competitive.
“A lot of struggle, a lot of long passes, otherwise it was impossible. The team obeyed and I’m happy, it was a game that we are not used to.
“I liked everything, from the first minute to the last, I knew that we would have to suffer. We didn’t risk anything, the defensive line was fine, a clean slate, everything was fine.”
Although Ancelotti was unhappy with the level of Cacereno’s field, he praised their team, adding: “They played very well.
“They pressed high, we didn’t have the ability to handle the ball well.”