Carlo Ancelotti is on the cusp of the sack at Real Madrid and his players have lost trust in him after their Champions League humiliation, according to a new report.
Ancelotti, 65, is likely to have just days left in his role after Real Madrid were dumped out in the quarter-finals by Arsenal, having lost 3-0 at the Emirates before slumping to a woeful 2-1 defeat in last night’s reverse leg in an aggregate thumping.
Sky Sports have claimed he will leave after the Copa del Rey final on April 26, when Real Madrid will take on rivals Barcelona in Sevilla. That would mean Ancelotti would not see out the rest of the LaLiga campaign – with his side four points off top spot.
Brazil want to appoint the former PSG and Chelsea boss as their new head coach and he could take charge before the end of the domestic season.
Regardless, his time at the Bernabeu increasingly looks to be up. Spanish outlet Relevo have lifted the lid on a concerned dressing room, with players’ ‘suspicion and distrust’ of Ancelotti at its highest since he returned for a second spell in 2021.
Real Madrid were tactically outclassed by their Premier League opponents and struggled to land a glove on them despite being urged on to an unlikely remontada by their home crowd, and players believed they were sent out without an effective plan.
Real Madrid players have turned against Carlo Ancelotti after their Champions League exit
Holders Madrid were thumped 5-1 on aggregate by Arsenal in the quarter-finals
The under-pressure Ancelotti has been tipped to be sacked before the end of the season
Indeed, they are said to be convinced that beyond being told to play with intensity, they were given little instructions on how to approach the game. This, the same report adds, has been a recurring theme against top-level teams this season.
Ancelotti has been fiercely backed by club president Florentino Perez this season despite Real Madrid stumbling on multiple fronts, but even the 78-year-old is said to be aware that some heavyweights in the squad have lost confidence in their manager.
Perez reportedly spoke to several players after last night’s defeat and heard multiple complaints over the approach to the game.
While Ancelotti remains respected after leading Real Madrid to multiple trophies, the feeling at the club is that they have reached the end of an era.
Relevo have gone as far as stating that Ancelotti now needs a miracle to save his job.
Addressing his uncertain future following the loss to Arsenal, he said: ‘Maybe the club decides to replace me and maybe it could be this year, or next year when my contract is over. But when I am done here, I will be grateful to this club.
‘That could be tomorrow, 10 days, one month or in one year, but if my contract ends or doesn’t end, I really don’t care.
‘We have managed the bright side many times and we have won titles, but we need to manage the dark side too. We need to accept it.
The squad believe they were sent out for the second leg without a proper tactical approach
Spanish publication Relevo have claimed Ancelotti needs a ‘miracle’ to avoid being dismissed
‘Over the two games, Arsenal have been better than us.’
Ancelotti rejoined Real Madrid in the summer of 2021 and has won 11 trophies during his second spell in charge, including two LaLiga titles and the Champions League.
