Carlo Ancelotti will reportedly depart Real Madrid following the final of the Copa Del Rey on April 26. The legendary Italian manager himself cast a shadow over his future after the Champions League exit to Arsenal on Wednesday night.
Real were needing to overturn a 3-0 deficit at the Bernabeu, but it was Arsenal who got the victory on the night thanks to a 2-1 win in the second leg. It was a result that heaped massive pressure on Ancelotti’s shoulders following an underwhelming season to date.
Ancelotti openly addressed the speculation about his potential exit, saying: “It could be this year, next year when my contract runs out. There’s no problem about it.
“But when I am done here, I will be grateful to this club. It could be tomorrow, in one year, or in 10 years, but I will be grateful to this club. And that’s it. Full stop.
“We have done very well in the last seasons but this year we have had to suffer. Things haven’t gone as expected but in sport it happens because there are no unbeatable teams.”
Sky Sports has since reported that Ancelotti is set to step down following the Copa Del Rey final on April 26 against Barcelona. The showdown with their bitter rivals comes after upcoming league matches against Athletic Bilbao and Getafe.
Meanwhile, Brazil reportedly want Ancelotti as their next coach, with talks likely to intensify following his tenure in Madrid. His rich managerial portfolio also boasts stints at Juventus, AC Milan, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, Napoli, and Everton.
After Real’s European exit, he conceded that Arsenal outplayed his team, stating: “Arsenal were better than us. We tried to do our best. Maybe the overturned penalty (when Declan Rice was initially penalised for a foul on Kylian Mbappe) was a turning point. That could have changed it.
“But Arsenal defended very well. We found it difficult to find spaces. We were better than normal in our intensity level but it wasn’t enough.”
