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Carlo Ancelotti, the manager of Real Madrid, is uncertain if he has coached his last Champions League match for the club after their defeat to Arsenal. The Italian coach has seen a lot of success in Madrid but is now uncertain about his future. However, he is currently focused on the other competitions remaining this season.
REAL MADRID’S EMBARRASSING CL CHOPPING
Real Madrid were knocked out of the Champions League in the quarterfinals by Arsenal, losing 2-1 at home. The Gunners won 5-1 on aggregate to progress to the semifinals. It was a disappointing night for Real Madrid – they could not create enough chances in front of Arsenal’s goal and never really mounted a comeback after the first-leg defeat. Ancelotti admitted that Arsenal deserved to win over the two legs as he said, “They earned it. Football has two faces: joy and heartbreak. And this is the heartbreak. You have to know how to handle it.” When asked if he has coached his last Champions League game at the club, he said, “I don’t know if this was my last UCL game at Real Madrid, and I don’t want to know”.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
The Champions League ouster only puts further focus on Ancelotti’s position as head coach. While his record at the club speaks for itself, the Los Blancos are simply too demanding and ruthless for managers, even the successful ones. Ancelotti, like Real Madrid, must perform even during a transitional phase and until the summer reinforcements arrive to the team that has struggled a lot with injuries this season, especially in fedense.
WHAT NEXT FOR REAL MADRID?
Real Madrid next take on Athletic in a hugely important La Liga encounter on Sunday at the Bernabeu. They face then play Barcelona for the Copa del Rey final after facing Getafe for La Liga. They round off the season with interim relief of Club World Cup which will be followed by a trip to Atletico Madrid in the league two weeks later. Ancelotti certainly cannot let the foot off the pedal just after what happened to his team against Arsenal.
