Carlo Ancelotti says Real Madrid will refuse to play if they have another La Liga fixture scheduled with less than 72 hours rest beforehand. Madrid beat Villarreal 2-1 on Saturday, but the game kicked off just under 67 hours after the conclusion of Wednesday’s Champions League last-16 victory over Atletico Madrid,

The Villarreal match, a 2-1 win secured by a Kylian Mbappé brace, took a visible toll on the players, with Ancelotti noting their exhaustion in the second half. Despite the fatigue, Ancelotti praised his team’s “character and commitment”, highlighting the squad’s depth and resilience.

The Italian is angry after Saturday’s 2-1 victory at Villarreal took place 66 hours after Real set up a Champions League quarter-final with Arsenal.