Carlo Ancelotti re-joined Real Madrid as the head coach in 2021, and won two Champions Leagues, two La Liga’s, a Club World Cup, a Copa del Rey, an Intercontinental Cup, two UEFA European Supercups, and two Spanish Supercups. Despite this impressive list, he left the club with a bitter taste, finishing the season trophyless. It eventually led to Ancelotti leaving the club before the end of the season, while Madrid appointed Xabi Alonso. Here’s the tale of a disappointing season. [banner][/banner]
Kylian Mbappé and the Problem of Too Many Forwards
The season began with unprecedented hype. Club President Florentino Pérez finally brought Kylian Mbappé to Madrid, a player he had been following for almost a decade. There were major disappointments in previous seasons, when Pérez seemed close to achieving his dream. Mbappé finally arrived, and the request of Madrid’s fans was fulfilled.
⚽✨👟 @KMbappe 📺 FULL MATCH ➡️ RM Play ▶️ Madridistas Premium exclusive
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) May 27, 2025
While most expected glory from Day 1, it took Prince Kylian a while to adapt. Though a luxury problem, Carlo Ancelotti needed to find a way to fit four forwards in a balanced XI. It sounds like an oxymoron, but Ancelotti persisted throughout the season. The arrival of Jude Bellingham, a year prior, forced Ancelotti to play him. However, Jude needed a striker to rely on, as had been the case with Joselu. Someone who can occupy the box, with a physical presence to free space for Bellingham. As expected, this did not work with Mbappé.
👟🥇👏 @KMbappe, Golden Boot 2024-25! pic.twitter.com/t1uFSJc2Uz
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) May 25, 2025
Mbappé was first deployed on the left wing, as Ancelotti hoped to make use of his pace. With many ageing stars, Real Madrid played at a relatively slow tempo in previous seasons. At the same time, Ancelotti could not afford to drop Vinicius Jr, who at that point had become the de facto leader. The Mbappé left-wing project was soon abandoned, and he was relocated to the striker position. Although it took several months, the Frenchman eventually adapted, cementing his place in the XI.
An Overwhelmed Midfield
Ancelotti previously relied on Rodrygo, Vinicius, and Bellingham as his offensive trio. With Mbappé in the squad, he refused to drop any of them, turning the trio into a quartet. However, such teams often lack balance: Madrid’s midfield was weaker than ever. This was exacerbated by the retirement of Toni Kroos, one of the few players who could methodically slow down the opposition thanks to his in-depth understanding of the game. Kroos’ exit led to two severe consequences: someone needed to replace Kroos, but there was no player available to do so. It first led to Valverde shifting to a deeper role, now depriving Madrid of its best box-to-box asset.
👋✨ @MrAncelotti ✨👋 pic.twitter.com/Dr21VNDpbC
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) May 25, 2025
The avalanche of problems led Jude Bellingham to play deeper, despite feeling uncomfortable as an interior forward instead of his preferred advanced midfield role. Dani Ceballos emerged as a stopgap solution, while Ancelotti struggled to find ways to fit Eduardo Camavinga and Aurélien Tchouaméni into the starting XI. Madrid lacked creativity, and they were hardly impressive in defense. The midfield was often overwhelmed, leading to several upsets in La Liga. The team struggled to break down defenses, instead mostly relying on individual quality to score, which seemed to work. For a while. It could do the job for a match, but it was never impressive.
Injuries Knocked Madrid Out
A review of the season would be incomplete without considering the injuries. It is not the first season where Ancelotti’s staff has been unable to keep their players fit. However, it had never reached the heights of this season. Dani Carvajal tore his ACL, forcing Ancelotti to either deploy Lucas Vázquez or replace Federico Valverde. As the former struggled to replace Carvajal’s role, it was Valverde who played instead.
🎩 @MrAncelotti, 2️⃣5️⃣0️⃣ Real Madrid victories! pic.twitter.com/MKlTljxFNZ
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) May 24, 2025
Carvajal’s injury was not the only damning one: David Alaba was injured for most of the time, and Éder Militão suffered Carvajal’s fate soon after. Ancelotti was left without a majority of his backline, forcing him to look at the academy. Raúl Asencio became a starter instead, limited on the ball but defensively solid. Without Militão, the last wall was Rüdiger. The German is known for his aggression, but did not have a partner to provide balance.
🤍 🆙 🥹 pic.twitter.com/rajChm5EUx
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) May 24, 2025
Ancelotti did not help his case, as he refused to rotate his squad. Whether it was overplaying his players or rushing them back as soon as they received medical clearance, the coach gradually lost the trust of the dressing room. Furthermore, Ancelotti lost all Clásicos, often characterized by an overwhelmed Madrid unable to keep up with Barcelona’s tempo.
When Ancelotti Lost the Trust of the Team
Madrid had always been the Champions League team, but this season was different. Madrid did end up qualifying for the knock-out stages, but this did not stop fans from criticising Ancelotti. The shambolic defeat against Arsenal, both home and away, was the final knock for the Italian. Real Madrid did not only lose on the score, but was dominated on the tactical end as well. It did not please fans when Ancelotti talked about the need to “suffer”, which goes against the traditional values of Madridismo.
⏸️ @RealMadridEn 1-0 @RealSociedadEN ⚽ 38' @KMbappe 👉 @Emirates pic.twitter.com/PWojr9hoj3
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) May 24, 2025
As soon as Ancelotti lost the dressing room, his fate had been decided. Florentino Pérez was made aware of it, with the only remaining question when both parties would part ways. It was originally believed he would have continued until the end of the Club World Cup, set to start in two weeks. Madrid hoped it could still challenge Barcelona in La Liga. However, the atmosphere started heating up once the club realized Ancelotti had been secretly talking with the Brazilian Federation to coach the Seleção. [banner_third][/banner_third] Ancelotti’s second spell ended with a trophyless season, with fans feeling things were going South from the beginning of the season. For many, trying to fit so many forwards was the beginning of the end. However, it should be stressed that a lack of investment in the backline also contributed to the poor results in Ancelotti’s final season.