Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has apologised for branding Valencia fans as racists on Sunday.

Ancelotti backtracked yesterday having condemned the entire Mestalla crowd over the Vini Jr controversy.

He said, "Spain is not racist, but there is racism on football pitches and this has to stop. He has gained more prominence and they see him as a sporting enemy.

"If you have to apply the protocol, it must be done when the bus arrives at the stadium. He is not a provocateur and the insults are not an isolated case. I apologize because I said that there were 46,000 who insulted him and it is not true, but they weren't even one or two.

"The protocol must be applied two hours before and during the match. It's obsolete."

Ancelotti also said: "The truth is that he is the victim of what is happening. Sometimes it is said that he is guilty because he provokes, but he is the victim... And also the fans who behave impeccably. The rest are part of a group that behaved very badly in Mallorca, in Valladolid... It seems a habit to insult.

"Why do we have this habit in Spain? Can we afford to call a footballer stupid? We have to stop, we are tired of being insulted at every game. Behind the benches they call you 'son of a *****a', 'f****o'.

"I hope that the institutions can be clear and that LaLiga and the referees do the same. What happened in Valencia shouldn't happen. Spain is not racist, but there it is racism in Spain, as in other places. This has to stop."