Del Bosque on the defensive after Cup humiliation

Real Madrid coach Vicente del Bosque has been forced to defend his selection policy and players after Wednesday's humiliating 4-0 King's Cup quarter-final defeat by Real Mallorca.

Del Bosque, who opted to rest all but four of his regular first team on Wednesday, also accepted responsibility for his side's 5-1 aggregate loss and brushed aside suggestions that Real, who have not won the King's Cup in 10 years, had made the competition a low priority.

"At no point have we undervalued the King's Cup," he said. "I thought we had a great chance to continue in this competition and I was convinced we had the ideal players to do it."

"I've got no complaints at all about the attitude shown by the players either. There's no point looking for scapegoats because we're all responsible, with me at the head."

"I'm sorry for the club, for the team and for the players left back in Madrid because we didn't do what we were expected to."