Carlo Ancelotti confident Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr will avoid UEFA ban

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti is confident Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr. will avoid being banned by UEFA before the clash with Arsenal in the Champions League.

UEFA confirmed on Thursday that an Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector is looking into the conduct of Mbappe, Vinicius, Antonio Rudiger, and Dani Ceballos after Real Madrid’s victory over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League Round of 16.

In one of the scenes, Rudiger was caught on camera allegedly making a throat-slitting gesture toward Atletico Madrid supporters.

Additionally, a viral footage on social media appears to show Mbappe making a crotch-grabbing gesture towards the fans.

If found guilty of their actions, they could face punishments ranging from fines to suspensions, which would be a significant blow for Los Blancos ahead of their Champions League quarter-final tie against Arsenal.

But the Italian coach has dismissed any wrongdoing in the players’ celebration after the win against their city-rivals.

Carlo Ancelotti is confident Mbappe and Vinicius Jr. will escape a UEFA ban (Image credit: Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

“We believe everything was correct, and we hope UEFA makes a decision, but we trust that everything will end well,” Ancelotti told reporters.

Although UEFA has not detailed the specific incidents under investigation, Spanish media reports suggest that Atletico Madrid lodged an official complaint over Real Madrid players allegedly taunting their fans, which led to objects being thrown onto the pitch from the stands.

“We are confident in UEFA’s verdict as the players had just celebrated. That’s it, we wait for verdict, but our players didn’t do anything wrong,” Ancelotti stated further.

Amid the “noise”, Ancelotti remains focused on the domestic title race, where his side is locked in a tight battle with Barcelona, leading comfortably at the top(63) with 3 more points.

Madrid will return to La Liga action on Saturday when they host Leganes, while Barcelona faces Girona on Sunday. Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid, who currently sit four points behind Real Madrid in second place, will visit Espanyol on Saturday.