Ancelotti’s Time at Real Madrid Nearing End After Champions League Exit, Say Pundits

Following Real Madrid’s comprehensive 5-1 aggregate defeat to Arsenal in the Champions League quarter-finals, the spotlight has intensified on manager Carlo Ancelotti’s future at the Bernabeu.

Despite a history of success with the Spanish giants, including three Champions League titles, the manner of their exit has led to strong suggestions that his time at the club is drawing to a close.

Heading into Wednesday night’s second-leg clash in Madrid, the dominant sentiment among Real Madrid fans was “remontada” – the Spanish word for comeback. However, despite a brief glimmer of hope when Vinicius Jr quickly responded to Bukayo Saka’s second-half opener, the reigning champions never looked capable of overturning the 3-0 deficit from the first leg at the Emirates Stadium.

Instead, it was Arsenal who secured a historic victory, becoming the first team to win their first two away games against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu. Gabriel Martinelli’s late strike sealed a stunning 2-1 win on the night and a resounding 5-1 triumph on aggregate for the Gunners.

The inquest into Real Madrid’s disappointing exit has already begun. For a club that has consistently reached the Champions League semi-finals, this marks only the third time in the last twelve seasons that they have failed to do so. Consequently, the pressure is mounting on Carlo Ancelotti, with questions about his leadership and the team’s performance unlikely to subside.

Acknowledging the team’s shortcomings, Ancelotti stated, “We have the dark side and we have the bright side. We have managed the bright side many times, we have won titles, we have won games. We have been eliminated [from the Champions League but] we have three more competitions we need to stay focused for.”

However, Spanish football expert Guillem Balague offered a more critical assessment, stating, “Real Madrid stand at the crossroads. They have a squad in need of refreshing. The defeat to Arsenal hasn’t caused a reset, it has simply confirmed the need for it. For Ancelotti the message will be clear – it’s time to move on.”

The emphatic nature of the defeat to a vibrant Arsenal side has highlighted potential weaknesses in the Real Madrid squad, prompting calls for significant changes in the summer. For Carlo Ancelotti, despite his legendary status at the club, the failure to mount a serious challenge in the Champions League could well signal the end of his second spell in the Spanish capital. Football fans in Kumasi and around the world will be watching closely to see what the future holds for both Ancelotti and Real Madrid.