In addition to being a response to a difficult defeat, Carlo Ancelotti’s comments following Real Madrid’s Champions League exit seemed to portend a potential turning point for the coach and the team.
The normally assured Santiago Bernabéu was left feeling apprehensive. Ancelotti’s reassuring yet ambiguous statement, “It could be tomorrow, or in a year…,” immediately raised questions about his future. Not making it to the semi-finals is a severe setback for a team like Real Madrid, where expectations are extremely high.
Ancelotti knows how rapidly things can change at Madrid and is accustomed to the strain at the top. However, his tone this time seemed more like someone who was content to move aside and accept whatever came next.
Who will take Ancelotti’s position if this is really the start of his departure? Is Xabi Alonso going to take over? Is Zidane coming back? Or is Florentino Pérez going to go in a different direction?
