Growing belief at Real Madrid that Carlo Ancelotti’s days are numbered – report | OneFootball

Real Madrid may be a club built on legacy and trophies, but the pressure that comes with such high standards is currently mounting on Carlo Ancelotti.

According to SPORT, the Italian manager continues to cling to his position on the Madrid bench not because the environment around him is supportive, but rather due to the backing of Florentino Perez and the occasional upturn in results.

Despite guiding the team through numerous difficulties this season, his future is far from certain. In fact, within the club, many believe his days are numbered.

This is because the fans have grown frustrated by the team’s lack of a consistent playing style. The absence of tactical identity has cost the team dearly in their most painful defeats, and it is a flaw Ancelotti has yet to fully address.

Shared blame

That said, it would be unfair to pin all the blame on Ancelotti. The 2024/25 campaign has exposed several structural issues at the club, especially in terms of squad planning.

Injuries and an imbalanced squad have made the coach’s task even harder. Yet through it all, Ancelotti has remained loyal to the club’s hierarchy, defending the decisions of the technical department and President Perez.

Carlo Ancelotti is likely to leave Real Madrid. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)

He has also refrained from publicly criticising his players, choosing instead to shoulder much of the responsibility.

Still, time is running out. The recent signs of improvement in the team’s performance have come just in time to keep Ancelotti in the frame, but everyone at Madrid knows that the real test lies just ahead.

The two real tests

The next two fixtures against Barcelona—first in the Copa del Rey final and then in a vital La Liga showdown—will determine Ancelotti’s fate.

Madrid enter the Copa del Rey final as underdogs, which is a rare label for them to wear. This is because the previous meetings with Hansi Flick’s Barcelona have been catastrophic.

Both performances exposed tactical naivety, and Ancelotti was rightly criticised for failing to find solutions against a Barça side that, on paper, has no decisive advantage in terms of individual talent.

If Ancelotti fails to overturn his record against Barcelona, it may not matter how loyal he has been to Perez or how well he has managed the chaos of a troubled season.

Results are the ultimate judge at Real Madrid, and right now, only two victories might be enough to keep him in the job.