Real Madrid coach crashes on motorway after Champions League loss to Liverpool

Real Madrid's team coach was involved in a motorway accident after their loss to Liverpool.

The incident appeared to take place on the M40 when images circulated on social media showing a stationary coach appearing to have been hit by a lorry. There were no players or staff on board, but the vehicle was carrying equipment.

Warwickshire Police said in a statement: “Our officers responded to reports of a collision involving a car, a lorry and the coach of a well-known football team on the M40 southbound between Junction 16 for Hockley Heath and Junction 15 for Warwick . Fortunately, no one was seriously injured. The players of the famous football team were not in the coach at the time.”

Teams usually fly back home immediately after a European match. But even if players and staff had been flown back to Spain, their coach would still have to be driven back to Madrid and the M40 is the conventional route a vehicle would take if driving from the northwest to the coast.

The Spanish giants, who struggled early on to defend their Champions League title, were beaten 2-0 at Anfield on Wednesday evening. Alexis Mac Allister and Copy Gakpo scored as Kylian Mbappe missed a penalty as his struggles continued.

The new luxury Real Madrid bus was unveiled in October 2024 with hi-tech branding intended to copy the revamped Bernabeu, which was rebuilt at a cost of £1.5 billion.

It is not the first time that the Los Blancos coach has been involved in a crash, with a similar incident already taking place in February. Carlo Ancelotti's team traveled to a Champions League match with RB Leipzig and flew to Erfurt instead of Leipzig due to a strike at that airport.

This meant they had to end their journey with a 100-mile bus journey and German newspaper Bild reported they were involved in a collision with a white Toyota.

Jude Bellingham said on his return to England after Real's third defeat in five European games: “Kylian is a great player but the pressure is enormous. The penalty is not the reason why we lost the game. Kylian can hold his head high and I know He will certainly deliver many more great moments for this club.”

Carlo Ancelotti said on Real's display: “We did well in the first half, we held them, set up quite well and defended well as a unit. In the transitions we were okay. But then we lost the ball and once we got the ball, made the wrong decision in the future.”