Real Madrid and Ancelotti toward farewell: sensational return to the bench

The love affair between Carlo Ancelotti and Real Madrid seems to have reached its epilogue. According to a report in today’s edition of La Gazzetta dello Sport, President Florentino Perez has now matured the conviction that the Italian coach’s experience on the Blancos’ bench has come to an end. A decision that, if confirmed, would mark the end of an important cycle, made of successes, balance and an always elegant management of the group. This year, in fact, Carlo Ancelotti’s team is not performing as it should, between La Liga and the Champions League. Even the 3-0 loss they suffered in the Champions League quarterfinals against Arsenal may have put a definitive end to the Ancelotti era in Madrid.

Ancelotti, beloved by the fans and respected by the locker room, could leave the Madrid bench at the end of the season, with the knowledge that he has written indelible pages in the club’s history. But Real Madrid, it is known, is always looking ahead. And if Xabi Alonso has long been considered the natural heir, a more suggestive name is making its way into the management’s dreams: Jürgen Klopp.

The former Liverpool coach, however, has just begun a new adventure away from the pitch. After saying goodbye to Anfield, Klopp chose a managerial role within the Red Bull Group, embracing a different vision of soccer, away from the bench but not away from the passion for the game. Despite this change of direction, Florentino Perez continues to harbor a desire to bring him to Madrid, envisioning him as the perfect face for a new winning cycle.

It remains to be seen whether Klopp will be willing to return immediately to the bench or if, instead, Real will have to “settle” for entrusting the team to a more accessible profile, such as precisely Xabi Alonso, already the protagonist of exponential growth with Bayer Leverkusen. In any case, it promises to be a hot summer for the Blancos, made up of important decisions and new challenges.