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Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti revealed that defender Raul Asencio was deeply impacted by chants calling for his death during Wednesday’s Copa del Rey semi-final clash against Real Sociedad.
Madrid claimed a 1-0 first-leg victory thanks to Endrick’s goal, but the match was briefly halted when home fans chanted “Asencio die,” prompting referee intervention. Asencio has faced similar abuse in recent weeks over allegations that he shared a sexually explicit video involving a minor. However, this was the first time a match was stopped due to the chants.
Vinicius Junior reported the abuse to the referee just before half-time, leading to the brief suspension of play. “Vinicius spoke to the referee, he stopped the game and applied the protocol, which was the right thing to do,” Ancelotti said.
The coach substituted Asencio at the break, explaining, “He was affected, and he had a yellow card. I didn’t want it to impact the game.”
Meanwhile, a video surfaced online showing a Real Sociedad fan allegedly making monkey gestures at Vinicius Junior during the stoppage.
On the pitch, Madrid gained the upper hand in the tie ahead of the second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu on April 1.
Endrick’s clinical finish from Jude Bellingham’s pass in the 19th minute proved decisive. The 18-year-old now has six goals this season, four in the Copa del Rey.
Ancelotti rotated his squad, leaving out Kylian Mbappe due to a dental issue, as well as Fede Valverde and Thibaut Courtois.
Despite the changes, Madrid produced a solid performance, with Andriy Lunin making key saves to deny Mikel Oyarzabal and Takefusa Kubo. Endrick nearly doubled the lead when he struck the bar, while Alex Remiro made several crucial stops to keep Sociedad in the tie.
Madrid’s only setback was an injury to Dani Ceballos in stoppage time. “He has a muscular problem,” Ancelotti confirmed.
In the other semi-final first leg, Atletico Madrid fought back to draw 4-4 with Barcelona.
