Real hurting after European exit but no issues with club says Ancelotti

MADRID - Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti said his side were still hurting after the holders were knocked out of the Champions League in the quarter-finals but there had been no falling out with the club hierarchy after their European exit.

Arsenal beat the 15-times European champions in both legs to advance to the semi-finals with a 5-1 aggregate victory which leaves Ancelottis side fighting only on the domestic front.

Real are in the Copa del Rey final where they face Barcelona, who are four points ahead of Ancelottis side in LaLiga. Real host fourth-placed Athletic Bilbao on Sunday.

Real president Florentino Perez has been known to be ruthless in sacking coaches who fail but Italian Ancelotti, the only manager to win the Champions League five times, said rumours of any friction with the club were false.

I have spoken to the players and I have spoken to the club. We are all on the same page. We are all hurt because we exited the competition in which we have been most successful. You cant always win, Ancelotti told reporters.

We have the same idea, there is no conflict with the club. Whoever says that there is a conflict is false, the president shows more affection in these moments than when we win.

The Champions League is the most important competition for everyone. And the Champions League is the most important history of Madrid. But its not true that the rest do not count.

Ancelotti said what hurt most was the stinging criticism that followed their exit but the 65-year-old refused to blame the squad, saying he had a great relationship with his players.

The reality is that in this world everything is questioned, he said. Questioning a club that has won almost 30 titles in the last decade seems