Chelsea’s Tuchel Disappointed Referee Was ‘Smiling and Laughing’ with Ancelotti

Real Madrid's Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti (R) reacts during the UEFA Champions League quarter final second leg football match between Real Madrid CF and Chelsea FC at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on April 12, 2022. (AFP)
Real Madrid's Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti (R) reacts during the UEFA Champions League quarter final second leg football match between Real Madrid CF and Chelsea FC at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on April 12, 2022. (AFP)
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Chelsea’s Tuchel Disappointed Referee Was ‘Smiling and Laughing’ with Ancelotti

Real Madrid's Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti (R) reacts during the UEFA Champions League quarter final second leg football match between Real Madrid CF and Chelsea FC at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on April 12, 2022. (AFP)
Real Madrid's Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti (R) reacts during the UEFA Champions League quarter final second leg football match between Real Madrid CF and Chelsea FC at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on April 12, 2022. (AFP)

Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel said he was disappointed to see referee Szymon Marciniak "smiling and laughing" with Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti after the Premier League side went out of the Champions League quarter-finals 5-4 on aggregate on Tuesday.

Trailing 3-1 from the first leg at Stamford Bridge, holders Chelsea looked on course for an astonishing comeback after taking a 3-0 lead in the return leg at the Santiago Bernabeu.

However, the hosts leveled the tie at 4-4 with 10 minutes left before Karim Benzema scored in extra time to put Real Madrid through to the semi-finals.

Tuchel told a news conference he was disappointed that Marciniak was having "a good time with Carlo" after the final whistle.

"When I wanted to go and say thank you, he was smiling and laughing with the opponent's coach," Tuchel added.

"I think this is the very wrong time to do this after the final whistle, 126 minutes of a team giving their heart. When you go and see a referee smiling and laughing with the other coach, it's bad timing. I told him this."

Tuchel was also unhappy that Marciniak had not checked the VAR monitor himself when Marcos Alonso's effort was disallowed for handball in the second half.

"I didn't see the goal but I am super disappointed he didn't come out and check it on his own," Tuchel said. "You should stay the boss and not give the decisions to someone in a chair who is isolated."

The German also said his side had left everything on the pitch in trying to turn the tie around.

"We went to the full limit today. I'm very proud of my players and I think we deserved to qualify but luck was not on our side," Tuchel said.

"There are no regrets. These are the kinds of defeats you can take with pride as a sportsman. The demand at Chelsea is very high and the players responded in a way that makes all of us proud."



PSG Crush Real Madrid 4-0 to Reach Club World Cup Final

Soccer Football - FIFA Club World Cup - Semi Final - Paris St Germain v Real Madrid - MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, U.S. - July 9, 2025 Paris St Germain's Fabian Ruiz celebrates scoring their first goal with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia REUTERS/Amanda Perobelli
Soccer Football - FIFA Club World Cup - Semi Final - Paris St Germain v Real Madrid - MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, U.S. - July 9, 2025 Paris St Germain's Fabian Ruiz celebrates scoring their first goal with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia REUTERS/Amanda Perobelli
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PSG Crush Real Madrid 4-0 to Reach Club World Cup Final

Soccer Football - FIFA Club World Cup - Semi Final - Paris St Germain v Real Madrid - MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, U.S. - July 9, 2025 Paris St Germain's Fabian Ruiz celebrates scoring their first goal with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia REUTERS/Amanda Perobelli
Soccer Football - FIFA Club World Cup - Semi Final - Paris St Germain v Real Madrid - MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, U.S. - July 9, 2025 Paris St Germain's Fabian Ruiz celebrates scoring their first goal with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia REUTERS/Amanda Perobelli

Paris St Germain's Spanish midfielder Fabian Ruiz scored twice in a devastating first-half display as the French champions demolished Real Madrid 4-0 on Wednesday to book their place in the Club World Cup final against Chelsea.

Two defensive errors handed PSG their opening goals within nine minutes at MetLife Stadium.

Raul Asencio's poor control in the sixth minute gifted Ousmane Dembele possession and his first effort was saved by Thibaut Courtois before the rebound was picked up by Ruiz who scored into an empty net.

Antonio Ruediger's miskick as he attempted to pass three minutes later allowed Dembele to burst unmarked into the box before firing a tidy finish past Courtois, according to Reuters.

Ruiz struck again in the 24th minute after Achraf Hakimi made a great run down the right and the Spaniard held off defender Raul Asencio with a feint before finishing perfectly from close range.

Substitute Goncalo Ramos completed the rout for European champions PSG three minutes from time, punishing a feeble Real Madrid side who failed to pose any attacking threat.

"It was an incredible match, brilliant win," player of the match Ruiz told DAZN.

"Even under scorching heat, such difficult conditions to play in midday, the team responded really well and it's an achievement to be proud of.

"We made a perfect game and beat a top-level rival like Real Madrid in a great way. It's job well done."

Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso's tactical gamble backfired spectacularly.

that had served them well in previous rounds, reverting to a four-man backline that proved woefully inadequate against PSG's attacking prowess.

PSG, who thrashed Inter Milan 5-0 in the Champions League final last month, smelled blood from the opening whistle and never relented against opponents who looked clueless on how to approach Gianluigi Donnarumma's goal even with French forward Kylian Mbappe back in the starting side after illness.

Dembele almost scored in the fourth minute with a curling strike from inside the box that Courtois stopped with a brilliant one-handed save before the keeper produced another stunning reflex block from a close-range strike by Ruiz.

But there was nothing he could do to deny PSG from opening a three-goal lead and the French team had more chances to extend their advantage further before the break.

Real made no changes at halftime and PSG stayed in control, with Desire Doue having a goal ruled out for an offside.

The Spanish side never came close to causing Donnarumma a serious problem and Ramos added a fourth goal for PSG.

"At the beginning, the setback was strong enough with a 2-0 down. We knew that the task was really tough," Real coach Alonso told DAZN.

"At the moment, the feeling is not the best, but we'll have to try to learn from today. They are a team that has been built in two years and we are just starting here, so it will take time.

"Right now what we need is a proper break. This is not the beginning of next year, this is just the end of this season. After just three weeks here, I think that we can take positives from this period, not from today. We take lessons from today."