Real Madrid boss Ancelotti stands by 'invented penalty' claim amid Spanish FA investigation

• Ancelotti fumed over the penalty decision
• Madrid were held to a draw
• Claims that his comments were mistranslated

WHAT HAPPENED? The Italian expressed his displeasure with the referee's decision to award Girona a penalty for a handball by Marco Asensio in the 1-1 draw. He went on to suggest that the winger did not touch the ball with his hand and that the match officials ''invented it''. The Spanish FA are now investigating Ancelotti's remarks, but he insists that he has been misinterpreted and did not mean to disrespect the referee.

WHAT THEY SAID: “They have made a formal complaint about me for what I have said. An invented penalty [rigore inventato] in Italy means that they have awarded a penalty that was not a penalty,'' the Madrid boss told a press conference. ''Bad faith and accusing a referee [of conspiracy] are not present here. I have never disrespected a referee, I only said what everyone thinks. For me, it wasn’t a penalty because of what they explained to us at the beginning of the season. It’s enough to say that it’s a mistake. Nobody is infallible.''

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Should the Spanish FA's competition committee choose to take disciplinary action, Ancelotti can be banned for up to four games. Valencia left-back Jose Gaya was banned for four games after he was found guilty of complaining against referees last season.

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WHAT NEXT FOR ANCELOTTI? The manager will be on the bench at the Santiago Bernabeu when Real Madrid host Celtic in the UEFA Champions League.