Sky Sports has reported that Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti is likely to leave the club by the end of April. The Italian has been linked with the Brazil head coach job.
Carlo Ancelotti is set to leave Real Madrid within days after their UEFA Champions League quarter-final loss to Arsenal, as per Sky Sports.
The Italian mentor is in his second stint at Real Madrid. His first, from 2013-2015, saw him deliver Los Blancos’ long-awaited 10th Champions League title – known to fans as ‘La Decima’. He was reappointed in 2021 and has delivered the title twice more, along with two LaLiga titles.
However, results this season have been below expectations at arguably the world’s most successful soccer club. Real Madrid lost 3-0 away and 2-1 at home to Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals and sit four points behind Barcelona (1.16) in LaLiga. Both teams have seven games left to play this season.
A Knee-jerk Decision?
It could be argued that Real Madrid (5.57) parting ways with Ancelotti would be incredibly harsh. After all, Los Blancos are still in the race for the LaLiga title. They will visit Barcelona for El Clásico at the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium on 11 May. At this point, it looks unlikely that Ancelotti will be in the dugout for that fixture.
At Real Madrid, this is how things have worked for the last 51 years. In that timeframe, no Real Madrid head coach has had more than four uninterrupted years in charge. Expectations are gargantuan at the club, and after heavy investments in players, coaches are usually axed as soon as they are not getting the best out of them.
Managing Mbappé
Real Madrid signed Kylian Mbappé on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain a year ago. He did not command a hefty transfer fee. However, he is reportedly Real Madrid’s highest-paid player, earning just under £500,000 per week.
Integrating Mbappé into the squad in his first season was always going to be a difficult task. The French winger/striker struggled at first but is now second in the LaLiga top scorers’ race with 22 goals to his name. Only Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski (25 goals) has scored more in the league this season.
However, Mbappé’s performances in crucial fixtures have often fallen short of expectations. Fairly or otherwise, Ancelotti appears to be paying for that with his job. Mbappé’s mixed debut season at Real Madrid is not the sole reason for his departure, but it likely played a role.
Who Could Replace Carlo Ancelotti?
Jürgen Klopp is one name widely mentioned in conjunction with the Real Madrid job. According to UOL, Klopp is unhappy in his current role as Head of Global Soccer at Red Bull.
Klopp has, like Ancelotti, been linked with the Brazil job, with the Seleção seeking a replacement for Dorival Jr. However, the former Liverpool boss is reportedly open to speaking to Real Madrid.
If Klopp takes the Real Madrid job, he will likely be reunited with his former right-back at Liverpool, Trent Alexander-Arnold. The 26-year-old is reportedly set to sign for Los Blancos on a free transfer after his contract at Liverpool expires at the end of the season.
Former Real Madrid midfielders Xabi Alonso and Zinedine Zidane have also been mentioned as potential replacements for Ancelotti. Alonso has had success in charge of Bayer Leverkusen. Meanwhile, Zidane won three UEFA Champions League titles and two LaLiga crowns in a previous stint as Real Madrid boss from 2019-2021.
Klopp is, however, reportedly the frontrunner. It would be his first experience in charge of a club with as much financial power as Real Madrid. However, having delivered two Bundesliga titles at Borussia Dortmund and the Premier League and Champions League at Liverpool, he has proven he can win with a fraction of the resources that would be at his disposal. Real Madrid may be down, but soccer betting enthusiasts should not count them out.
