Vibes in the Real Madrid camp are through the roof, and after booking their ticket to yet another final in the Carlo Ancelotti era, the Italian chief of Valdebebas gave the world champions a day off following their goalscoring retaliation in Catalonia.
The players' reaction? Reminiscent of a “school has been canceled due to weather” voicemail.
Real Madrid locker room reacts to Ancelotti's day off announcement
Ancelotti, one of the most succesful managers in the world, knows you have to appreciate your squad's effort to keep them happy, and in hopes of repeating last season’s success, Don Carlo gave his team the best mid-season reward they could ask for after their incredible win against Barcelona — a free day.
The squad celebrated the announcement more than the victory.
The reaction of the Real Madrid players when Carlo Ancelotti announced a day off tomorrow pic.twitter.com/Frug4RL0bb
— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) April 6, 2023
You can tell Karim Benzema (the hat-trick hero) was ready to hit up the group chat with plans to celebrate his historic night.
While KB9 and the rest of the squad were probably preparing plans for the night and following day, Toni Kroos happily took the day off to stay home after staying up until 4 a.m. to watch some NBA basketball. Kyrie Irving’s 19 points against the Sacramento Kings in the fourth quarter made it worth it.
Wow kyrie
— Toni Kroos (@ToniKroos) April 6, 2023
Real Madrid put on a superb performance against Barça in the Galácticos’ 4-0 win at the Spotify Camp Nou on Wednesday, sealing their spot in the 2023 Copa del Rey Final. They'll face Osasuna in May at La Cartuja in Seville.
This will be the Whites’ fifth final since the 2021-22 season and their 40th Copa del Rey final appearance, although it's a first since 2014.
With the madrileños LaLiga title defense on its way to the dumpster, the long-awaited humiliation of a “remontada” in Barcelona and the thought of a domestic cup acquisition — along with their very much alive hopes for Champions League glory — has turned everything around in Madrid. The cherry on top? A day off.
Real Madrid rest on Thursday and return Friday to prepare for Saturday’s home LaLiga match against Villarreal. They face Chelsea in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals on Wednesday at the Bernabéu.
