Behind the scenes of Ancelotti leaving Bernabeu: It is difficult to sign a & the injury wave, Real Madrid has become a "mad asylum"

Not long ago, Real Madrid announced that Ancelotti will leave after the end of the season. So why did the Italian coach who helped the team win the Champions League title 12 months ago, the champion coach who once hoped to retire at the Bernabeu, choose to leave so soon? The Athletic author restores the story behind Ancelotti's departure from Real Madrid.

Ancelotti, just 12 months after leading Real Madrid to win the Champions League for the third time, the most successful coach in Real Madrid's history has reached the moment to leave.

The 2024/2025 season was a difficult season for Madrid and a tired season for Ancelotti. The day before confirming that he would leave Real Madrid and take over the Brazilian national team, Real Madrid just lost the fourth national derby of the season - this is the second time in Real Madrid's history.

This season, Real Madrid has neither La Liga Championship nor Champions League and Copa del Rey, and there is also a tired "lying flat" attitude within the team, believing that this is the end of an era.

Although Ancelotti signed a contract with the club in 2026, various speculations about his future have been heard since September last year. According to TA's report in March, Real Madrid had already held talks with representatives of Leverkusen coach and former Madrid player Xavi Alonso to discuss Alonso's replacement of Italian Ancelotti.

In recent months, the Brazilian Football Association has maintained contact with Ancelotti, who has also confirmed that it will officially start coaching the Brazilian national team on May 26 and lead the team to the US, Canada and Mexico World Cup. Alonso will also take the place soon and lead Real Madrid to participate in the new version of the Club World Cup that will start on June 14. Real Madrid's first game is in Miami against Saudi team Riyadh Crescent on June 18.

To analyze the ins and outs of Ancelotti's departure, TA interviewed several people familiar with his coaching history and details of his departure (anonymous for protection). Real Madrid and Ancelotti declined to comment on details of the report.

Real Madrid's 2023/2024 season is brilliant.

They only lost two games throughout the season, winning the double championships of La Liga and Champions League. On May 4, they secured the La Liga championship ahead of schedule. In 38 games, Ancelotti's team completed 21 clean sheets and scored 87 goals, finally winning the championship with a 10-point lead over Barcelona.

However, the seeds of many problems this season were actually planted as early as last summer.

Tony Cross announced in May that he would retire after the European Cup in the country. Real Madrid also knew in advance how Nacho wanted to leave the team - this meritorious service for Real Madrid for 23 years finally joined Saudi Arabia's team Arcadisia. But they did not expect that Joseru, who scored 17 goals in the season, would also leave, and the latter turned to Qatar club Algarafa.

The departure of these three players has far-reaching impact: Kroos' midfield position has not been filled so far, and the defense line is in trouble due to injuries to key players - Nacho, as a defensive versatile player, could have easily helped the team resolve this crisis.

Joseru's replacement exists in some form: on June 3, after years of pursuit, Real Madrid announced that they would sign Mbappe, whose contract expired in Paris Saint-Germain in a visa-free form, and at the same time welcomed Brazilian talented striker Enderick, who reached a transfer agreement as early as December 2022.

But long before Mbappe arrived, concerns about his striking balance had emerged. Real Madrid coaching staff knew that Mbappe's pressing intensity in Paris did not meet the team's requirements for the forward. Some coaching staff members expect Mbappe's joining may lead to concending 15 more goals in the season, which can only be expected that his goal contribution can offset the defensive loopholes.

With three rounds left in La Liga, Real Madrid has conceded 11 goals (37 goals) than last season, while the number of goals (72 goals) has decreased by 15 goals (87 goals last season).

Compared with last season, Real Madrid's data on both offense and defense have declined

, and on the day Mbappe flew to Spain, Real Madrid suffered a blow in the transfer market - Lille's 18-year-old talented central defender Yoro, who was expected to join, chose to transfer to Manchester United for 52 million pounds (up to 59 million pounds).

Real Madrid had negotiated with Yoro's agent Mendes, and the player himself expressed his willingness to join. But Real Madrid's offer is less than half as high as Manchester United, and eventually missed the young central defender who is hailed as a "genius of a generation". Although Ancelotti repeatedly asked for strengthening the defense, Real Madrid did not take substantial action for the rest of the summer window. A coaching staff member sighed: "The club wants a young central defender who meets Real Madrid's standards, but is unwilling to spend money. "

Not only does Real Madrid lack reserves in central defenders, but their personnel characteristics also lack complementarity.

For example, only Rudiger is the left central defender of the Zhengyin, and he himself prefers the right central defender position.

At that time, the club's senior management promised to reassess the situation in the winter window, but Ancelotti's team was skeptical.

On July 14, Spain won the European Cup and the final of the Copa America ended in Miami. Real Madrid has 18 players participating in these two events, most of which will be with the team until the later stage.

Two weeks later, Ancelotti led the team to start a 10-day US preseason, losing to AC Milan and Barcelona, ​​and defeating Chelsea 2-1 on August 6. After returning to Europe, the team defeated Atalanta 2-0 in Warsaw on August 14 to win the European Super Cup. Four days later, the La Liga opener challenged Mallorca away.

After experiencing the exhausted and overdrawn 2023/2024 season, Real Madrid players lacked rest time. The pre-season preparation period is shortened, and the physical reserve and tactical running-in time are compressed.

In the first three rounds of the league, Real Madrid drew 1-1 with Mallorca and Las Palmas - a locker room source said "this can inspire fighting spirit" because the players obviously did not enter the best form.

After the end of the summer window, Ancelotti tried to introduce the English League One team Stockport assistant coach Andy Mangan, who failed to obtain a work permit.

Ancelotti believes that Mangen, who specializes in offensive training, can inject new vitality into the coaching staff, but some senior executives are secretly grateful for their failure in joining. Many sources at Real Madrid training base pointed out that the team urgently needed more special coaches (especially those who are good at personal technical mentors), and believed that young players such as Chuameni, Kamavenga and Guerre were restricted as a result. The club's internal and locker room also complained about the lack of tactical drills in training, believing that this was directly reflected in the game.

One of the internal criticisms Ancelotti suffered this season (from chief scout Juan Carafat and others) is that he has not given more opportunities to young people such as Guerre and Enderic. The data visualization chart below shows that even in the midst of the injury wave, the two new stars still have very few appearance times.

2024/2025 season Real Madrid players' playing time

In September last year, Spanish media revealed for the first time that Alonso took over Ancelotti, hinting that the Italians will go to Saudi Arabia to coach. An Shuai's side denied this rumor to him, but the idea of ​​coaching the national team to compete in the World Cup has always attracted him. Although Ancelotti insisted at the press conference at that time that "wanted to retire from Real Madrid", he also revealed his intention to coach the national team to some staff, and the first national derby in October became a turning point. Real Madrid's defense was completely torn by Yamal, Rafina and Lewandowski because captain Carvajal had a torn ACL against Villarreal three weeks ago. Barcelona won 4-0, and Mbappe lost 8 offsides in his first national derby in his career.

In response, Ancelotti said after the game: "I learned a lot from failure. Self-criticism is important, but it cannot be completely denied."

After Carvajal was seriously injured, Ancelotti reached a consensus with CEO Sanchez, scout director Carafat, and sports director Solari: the right back and central defender will be introduced in the winter and summer windows of 2025. But with the national derby defeat and the Champions League loss to Milan, Spanish media began to hype Solari would temporarily take over the first team.

A person close to Ancelotti said at the time: "He led the team to win ten championships in three years, but he was leaving because of two losses?"

Solari, who had coached for four months in the 2018/2019 season, had no intention of taking over. The Argentine director with increasing power said out of loyalty that "if he was asked, he would obey the arrangement."

Ancelotti's team returned in 2021, was also wary of Solari, worried that his close relationship with Chairman Florentino would affect the locker room. But the relationship between the two improved this season, and Solari supported An Shuai in the meeting and helped on key issues such as the injury crisis.

Real Madrid's injury surge continues to intensify: the main central defender Militon has a second tear of the ACL, and Vasquez and Rodrigo have one month missing in the mid-term injury in November.

So far, 17 Real Madrid players have suffered injuries in the 2024/2025 season (some of them have been multiple). Only Modric, Raul Asensio, Guerre and Enderick remained fully attending.

One of the reasons Ancelotti was dismissed for the first time in 2015 was the frequent injuries. Even worse this season, but Florentino and the board have never questioned how physical coach Pintus trains. According to the training base, "Florentino firmly believes that Penttus is the secret to winning the Champions League."

TA reported in November that Real Madrid's locker room was dissatisfied with the injury wave and internal rifts. Some team members believe that the team independent of Penttus should be responsible for physical management.

After Militon was reimbursed for the season, Ancelotti's team smelled a signal from the intensive reports of Spanish media on "Trust Youth Training": the winter window will not strengthen the defense. After losing to Milan and Liverpool in the Champions League at the end of November, a consensus on the training base has been formed - no new players will come. When asked about the possibility of signing in the winter window in mid-December, a source's answer was blunt and cruel: a string of laughter and crying emojis.

The club has almost no hope for introducing Liverpool right-back Arnold in advance, but judging from the current situation, Arnold may represent Real Madrid in the new version of the Club World Cup.

The defeat of Mexican team Pachuca in Lussel in December was just a temporary cover-up of the season's rift.

No new players arrived in the winter window in January. A coaching staff member admitted that there was no right-back available for the Champions League match against Salzburg (Kavajal was injured and Vasquez was suspended): "Without a right-back, winning the Champions League championship is a fantasy."

Manchester City once proposed that Real Madrid be loaned to Kyle Walker, but Real Madrid did not even reply. Then the Blue Moon signed two young center backs, Kusanov and Vitor Rez (Palmeiras), who Real Madrid have been paying attention to for 75 million euros.

The other positions in the defense line were also chaotic: Alaba returned after a 399-day quit, but it was only a few weeks later that An Shuai was considered to be in the starting form. Rudiger was injured against Espanyol in early February, and Alaba fell again, resulting in no first-team central defender available when Real Madrid faced Atletico Madrid and Manchester City.

Thanks to Barcelona's sluggish state from November to December, Real Madrid led by La Liga in mid-January (Atletico Madrid chased closely). But the final of the Spanish Super League Cup held in Jeddah on January 12 (Barcelona reversed 10 players against Real Madrid 5-2) became a turning point. Since then, Barcelona has remained unbeaten in domestic competitions in 2025, currently leading the league by 7 points (three rounds left), and won the championship with Real Madrid 3-2 overtime in the King's Cup final at the end of April.

Ancelotti's team admitted that it was unable to solve the lineup imbalance problem - partly due to the pile of stars in the frontcourt (the strongest lineup is top-heavy), and partly due to injuries at key positions. Midfielder lost Cross and best midfielder Valverde had to play a guest appearance at right back frequently.

As the Barcelona league soared, rumors about Alonso coaching Real Madrid became increasingly fierce. Ancelotti has been aware of Real Madrid's contact with Alonso's representatives since at least February, but insisted both publicly and privately that he hopes to remain in office. When asked about the future at the press conference in January, he said: "The right to leave office will never be with me. Florentino will work for another four years. My goal is to accompany him to the end and say goodbye together.. ”

But since March, multiple factors have made him reconsider: poor signing, Real Madrid's open pursuit of Alonso, and his son David (a core member of the coaching staff) has set up his own door after leaving office this summer.

Brazil made a comeback after losing to Argentina in the World Cup qualifiers. TA disclosed that it listed Ancelotti and Saudi champion Alschalal coach Jesus as the new coach's target. Brazilian Football Association Chairman Ednaldo Rodriguez has always regarded Coach An as the "dream candidate". Their two contacts with Ancelotti in 2022 and 2023 were both blew up due to Real Madrid's contract renewal.

At this time, the tax case of Ancelotti was heard in Spanish court. He was accused of evading tax by portrait rights during his first coaching of Real Madrid. When he appeared in court in April, the defense team claimed that it was responsible for the club and requested that Real Madrid representatives be summoned to testify (the verdict has not been announced yet).

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22nd round of the Champions League quarter-finals 2 Eliminated by Arsenal (Bernabeu's full passive second leg) became the last straw that broke the camels.

In the second leg of April 16, the Brazilian Football Association envoy appeared at the stadium and came to the door the next day to persuade Ancelotti to take charge of the coach. The two sides signed a generous contract until the end of the 2026 World Cup. However, last month, the details of the termination were not finalized. An Shuai originally planned to take over in July and August, but was persuaded to take over in advance to prepare for the June World Cup qualifiers.

Many training bases People were disappointed with An Shuai's recent handling, believing that he did not focus on the key battle at the end of the season. The uneasiness in the locker room was revealed before the game - a player asked him about the next coach and learned that it was Alonso and said meaningfully: "Look at whether Alonso dares to jump into this crazy asylum now..."

Ancelotti's team has long been accustomed to "living with his suitcase." One of the members of the team even admitted: "We are used to putting our luggage at the door. ”

Next stop: Brazil.

(Armour)