When Carlo Ancelotti soon leaves Real Madrid, he will do so as the most successful manager of all time.
Ancelotti has been under pressure all year, but president Florentino Pérez held on to confidence that he would turn the situation around for a long time – until last month.
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According to reports, Ancelotti was on the verge of being sacked already in November after losses to Barcelona and AC Milan respectively. But after a convincing win over Girona, he gained the confidence to continue for the rest of the season. Still, it was in Europe that the performances were the last straw that made Pérez lose faith.
Arsenal match was the turning point
After two tough encounters against Atlético Madrid, where Madrid narrowly won on penalties, the team travelled to London to face Arsenal in the quarter-finals. A humiliating 3-0 defeat at the Emirates, followed by a 2-1 defeat at home, was, according to Cadena SER, the definitive breaking point between the club and Ancelotti. Then the confidence that he could reverse the trend disappeared.
Brazil interest a side issue
Although there has been dissatisfaction with how Brazil’s interest in Ancelotti was handled, the coach knew that Real Madrid had already made contact with other coaches several weeks ago – signalling that he was not wanted for next season. It seems that the divorce will happen after the season, or as soon as La Liga is lost. Then Ancelotti will probably take over Brazil.
The struggle to find solutions
The signing of Kylian Mbappé was supposed to make Real Madrid superior, but the team has consistently failed in big games this season. Ancelotti has not found the right balance, and either of his own volition or on orders from above, he has refused to drop a starting eleven without Rodrygo, Vinícius Junior and Mbappé. The lack of balance with these three on the pitch has eventually become the team’s bane.
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