Chapter 172: Real Madrid's Fury

Chapter 172: Real Madrid's Fury

On the sideline, Coach Ancelotti continued furiously ranting at the fourth official: "First, they don't call a handball in the box, and now they've turned an Udinese dive into a penalty. What are you doing?!" The fourth official, stern-faced, replied sharply, "Mr. Ancelotti, please calm down. You need to trust the fairness of the referee's decision." "Fairness? What I'm seeing doesn't seem fair at all..." Ancelotti retorted angrily.

The fourth official's expression hardened as he warned, "Mr. Ancelotti, watch your language! If this continues, I'll have to call over the main referee." Ancelotti, taken aback by the warning, huffed and walked away after venting his frustration.

The fourth official, seeing Ancelotti retreat, chose not to report to the main referee. Understanding the coach's emotions and considering the venue was Bernabeu, he gave Ancelotti some leeway.

Meanwhile, the internet was ablaze with reactions. "Cheaters! Shameless frauds!" "Lucky he didn't transfer to Real Madrid, or he'd be a disgrace to our team!" "Do Portuguese have a tradition of diving?" and so forth. The online banter was fierce, with fans from both sides participating in the heated debate.

Regardless of Ancelotti's dissatisfaction and the Real Madrid fans' anger, the referee's decision to award the penalty stood firm. Initially, Di Natale was Udinese's primary penalty taker, but after missing a previous penalty, Bruno had taken over the duties. Since Bruno earned the penalty himself, no one contested his right to take it.

Bruno positioned himself at the penalty spot. The referee blew the whistle. Bruno ran up and struck the ball, deceiving Casillas with a change in rhythm, and scored. "GOOOOOOOOOOOOL!! Bruno Fernandes! He converts the penalty he earned himself." "Bruno took that penalty interestingly, completely fooling Casillas with his timing." "2:0! Unbelievable, Bruno Fernandes scores his second goal of the day, putting Udinese up 2-0 against Real Madrid at Bernabeu." "This is an outcome no one expected—just 19 minutes in, and Udinese is leading by two goals at Bernabeu."

The stands at Bernabeu were filled with boos, perhaps directed at the referee's decision or expressing dissatisfaction with their team's performance. "Crap!" Ancelotti cursed, visibly upset. The Italian coach was discontent with the situation—his team trailing by two goals at home, and the match barely past the starting minutes was something he hadn't even considered in his worst nightmares. Furthermore, he was disoriented, not having planned for such a scenario.

Back in the media box, after reviewing the events leading to the penalty: James Rodriguez's shot was initially blocked by Piris. Slow-motion replays showed the ball hit Piris's knee and then his hand. It was a debatable moment that could have been called a penalty under other circumstances, especially at Bernabeu—a venue known for its home advantage, though this time, the referee decided there was no handball.

Then, following Udinese's quick counter, Guilherme broke through and set up Bruno, who was tackled in the box by Varane. The replays were inconclusive whether Varane touched the ball first or the man, or possibly both. Again, this was controversial. The referee could have ruled it a fair challenge or penalized Varane for a foul. Such decisions could swing either way, and both could be justified.

Yet, the referee chose to penalize Real Madrid, awarding Udinese the penalty that Bruno would successfully convert. The press was abuzz, shocked at the call made at Bernabeu—a place where Real Madrid rarely faces such unfavorable decisions.

Less than twenty minutes into the game, and Udinese was up by two goals—a situation no one had anticipated. Especially with the controversy surrounding the penalty call and the preceding non-call on the handball, this sequence of events was a significant blow to Real Madrid's morale.

As the match resumed, Real Madrid's players appeared to play with heightened emotions. Bruno observed their frustration, likening it to a visible label of discontent. Under his leadership, Udinese began to intensify their challenges, strategically aggravating their opponents to disrupt their gameplay further.

Bruno led the effort to provoke Real Madrid's players, hoping their agitation would lead to mistakes or disciplinary actions. However, this tactic was risky, as it could also lead to retaliation or cards for Udinese players, particularly for Piris, known for his temper.

This strategy culminated when Piris fouled Cristiano Ronaldo for the third time, prompting Ronaldo to confront the Paraguayan defender. Bruno intervened to prevent the situation from escalating. Ronaldo, visibly upset, pushed Bruno aside as he sought retribution. Luckily, Danilo was there to hold back Piris before any further conflict erupted.

The referee quickly intervened, separating the players and issuing Ronaldo a yellow card for instigating the confrontation, then verbally warned Piris. This decision did not sit well with the Real Madrid players, with captain Iker Casillas protesting that it was Piris's third foul, meriting a card. The referee calmed the situation with a yellow card to Casillas to cool things down.

As the first half came to a close with Udinese leading 2-0, the atmosphere at Bernabeu was tense, with boos echoing around the stadium. The scene captured the frustration of the Real Madrid faithful, including a stern-faced Florentino Pérez, the club's president.

Inside Real Madrid's locker room, Ancelotti found his team heatedly discussing the referee's decisions, blaming the unfavorable calls for their situation. Ancelotti frowned at the unrest, which reminded him of past conflicts with Casillas, who continued talking with Pepe, ignoring the coach's entrance.

This complex dynamic highlighted the ongoing tension between the captain and the coach, exacerbated by Ancelotti's recent decisions to favor Navas over Casillas. Despite public statements of mutual respect, the relationship between Casillas and Ancelotti was strained.

As Ancelotti knocked on the table to get attention, the players gradually quieted down, allowing him to address the team and refocus their efforts for the second half.