Ancelotti remains at Real Madrid
The extension of Real Madrid's contract with Carlo Ancelotti, which expired on June 30, 2024, means, first of all, a bet on stability. The club knows that in this case, it gets reliability. The decision of the president of the "cream" Florentino Perez is predictable and the least risky, and therefore the right one, Azernews reports.
The functionary retained a specialist who, in 4 full seasons at the Bernabeu, won the league title, two Spanish Cups, and two Champions Leagues (plus many minor trophies, as indicated in the club's statement), and who has good opportunities to win La Liga this season. A 1-0 victory over Mallorca in the last match of the national championship at the moment allows Blancos to remain at the top of the standings.
Real Madrid has retained a coach who has a very important ability to easily communicate with stars of all sizes, from Cristiano Ronaldo to Karim Benzema in previous years, to Vinicius and Toni Kroos now. Ancelotti does this job better than many other professionals his age. There are no dissatisfied people in his team – everyone loves and respects him.
Creamy has retained a coach who is considered the soul of the company and will proudly maintain this status. He will not publicly criticize his players or the club, and he will not force people loyal to him in the media to do so privately.
He works with what he has and does not complain that "the club does not support him." Even now, with confidence in the future, the Italian does not demand anything from the management, although he has lost two central defenders for a long period.
Ancelotti claims that the current Real Madrid squad will be able to compete on three fronts, despite injuries, with Nacho (who turns 34 this month) and Antonio Ruediger as a pair of main center backs, and Aurelien Tchuameni and Dani Carvajal will back them up if necessary, although they have little experience playing in the center of defense.
Carlo is a great professional in his field, but he is also an exemplary employee, which probably influenced Perez's thinking to some extent when he solved the coaching issue.
Perez has been in charge of Real Madrid since 2000, except the period from 2006 to 2009. Florentino made mistakes, like everyone else, but his status as one of the greatest presidents of the royal club is undeniable. It's not just about the six European Champions Cups, but also about what he has made of the "cream" of a sporting, cultural, and business giant.
And this energetic grandfather doesn't even think to stop. Perez
is one of the organizers of the acclaimed Super League. The
Spaniard was not afraid to challenge UEFA and almost the entire
current football system.
But anyway, Peres is 76 years old. His enthusiasm shows no signs of
fading, but he cannot take constant risks.
Ancelotti's departure at the end of this season would indicate a great deal of uncertainty in the coaching issue. It is not easy to find a replacement for such a specialist. The most discussed candidates for the Italian's place were the legendary former Real Madrid players Raul and Xabi Alonso. This option worked with Zinedine Zidane, but will you be lucky again? This is an open and, more importantly, risky question.
Alonso would undoubtedly be a more interesting choice, but he would also represent a fundamental change in the football approach. It is far from a fact that the methods of a progressive coach will work in a club where trophies will be demanded from him from the first day.
For sure, he will want to adjust the composition to suit himself, and the president will become the main mouthpiece of the club, urging fans to be patient and give time to a young specialist.
Perez might have taken such a risk if he were younger, but today's Florentino is not like that. The long-term leader of the creameries believes that it is better not to take any risks now.
The issue of managing people is also very important. Both Raul and Alonso were recognized as superstars, but they did not work with players of this magnitude. It's one thing to convince a group of young footballers (and Granit Jaku) to believe in a plan when you've started to get things done in the Bundesliga.
It's quite another to convince Vinicius, Modric, or Cross when something doesn't work. Talking to the players is important, and not only with your own. Fair or not, it is much easier to convince Kylian Mbappe to join in the summer when you have a reputable coach like Ancelotti than with a young specialist who has never worked at this level.
Speaking of experienced players, who has a better chance of getting the most out of Kroos, Modric, or Nacho (assuming that's what the club wants, instead of spending money on new players)? Who is more likely to accept Josela for another season as a central striker?
The answer is obvious: the more experience a coach has, the more likely it is that the widest possible range of players will benefit the team. There is also a practical factor. If Ancelotti stops giving results, and the management decides that it's time for a breakup, it will be relatively painless for both sides in terms of relationships.
After the contract extension, Carlo stated that Real Madrid would be his last club. But this does not mean that he will end his career after leaving. The World Cup will be held in 2026, shortly after the expiration of his new agreement. Ancelotti said he was interested in thinking about a possible appointment to the Brazilian national team later if the topic was still relevant by then.
Or maybe Italy will invite him. Or maybe even Canada, where he has a home. Who knows? The specialist will have time to think about the future, but for now, he remains at the royal club, for which he works hard, no matter what.
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