Real Madrid’s Season Is a Failure — But Firing Ancelotti Would Be a Bigger One

Four Points Behind Barcelona, Knocked Out of Europe, and Cupless

With five La Liga matchdays to go, Real Madrid trail Barcelona by four points. Their Champions League run ended brutally, and just last weekend they handed the Copa del Rey title to their fiercest rivals. The calls for Carlo Ancelotti’s dismissal are growing louder.

But that would be a grave mistake. If anyone is to blame for Real’s underwhelming season, it’s not the head coach — it’s president Florentino Pérez.

Mbappé Arrived, But the Midfield Collapsed

Shortly after winning the 2023/24 Champions League, Real Madrid delivered a second high-profile victory: the long-anticipated signing of Kylian Mbappé. With an even stronger squad on paper, many expected Los Blancos to dominate. Instead, they stumbled through La Liga and were humiliated 1–5 on aggregate by Arsenal in the UCL quarterfinals.

One glaring issue: the lack of a playmaker. Toni Kroos, now retired, was the team’s metronome — dictating tempo, calming chaos, or slicing defenses with laser-guided passes. His absence has left a creative vacuum in midfield. The remaining options are more direct, less visionary.

Pérez Ignored the Kroos Problem

This was predictable. Kroos is one of the most underrated football minds of his generation — a player who made almost no mistakes, game after game. Real Madrid urgently needed a new orchestrator. Instead, Pérez focused entirely on closing the Mbappé saga, prioritizing politics and marketing over tactical balance.

Perhaps Pérez believed Luka Modrić could still handle the role. But at 39, even a footballing genius like Modrić can’t be expected to carry that weight across a full European campaign.

Defensive Depth Has Collapsed

Madrid’s issues don’t end in midfield. Their squad has also been alarmingly thin at the back. In the Copa del Rey final, Antonio Rüdiger played 111 minutes with heavily strapped legs — because there was no one to replace him. Éder Militão is injured. David Alaba’s fitness gamble failed. Jesús Vallejo has never truly been up to the club’s level.

Veteran Nacho Fernández would’ve been invaluable — last season, he had arguably the best run of his career — but he departed for Saudi Arabia last summer. His expected replacement, academy graduate Raúl Asensio, is promising but raw. At times, Aurelien Tchouaméni has had to slot into central defense — a tactical compromise that hurts everyone.

Right-Back Woes Continue

On the right flank, things aren’t better. Dani Carvajal tore his ACL, and Lucas Vázquez is a decent impact sub in attack but an outright liability defensively. At one point, Ancelotti even tried Fede Valverde at right-back.

Of course, ACL tears can’t be predicted. With Militão and Carvajal fit, Real would be more formidable. But it’s hard to excuse the planning that left Rüdiger as the only top-tier defender in crunch time.

Mbappé Changed the Team’s Mentality — and Not in a Good Way

Mbappé’s arrival shifted the team’s internal dynamics — not just tactically, but psychologically. The attack is now filled with stars who thrive with the ball but slack off without it. Throughout the season, there were repeated instances of Mbappé and Vinícius Jr. killing attacks by going solo when the better option was to pass — especially from Vini, who hasn’t looked the same since losing out on the Ballon d’Or.

PSG Déjà Vu

Madrid have become a version of PSG during the Mbappé–Neymar–Messi era: a team where seven players defend while three attackers saunter back up the pitch. That imbalance is fatal — especially for a squad already lacking a true holding midfielder (Casemiro was never truly replaced) and a proper playmaker.

Dressing Room Divisions Are Growing

Behind the scenes, things aren’t much better. Reports emerged back in November of a split dressing room — with one faction, allegedly led by Mbappé, calling for Ancelotti’s head, while another group, including Vinícius, stood firmly behind "Papa Carlo."

Pérez Isn’t Learning His Lessons

The most troubling aspect? Florentino Pérez doesn’t appear to be making any changes in his approach. This summer, Real Madrid are rumored to be chasing Trent Alexander-Arnold — a brilliant attacking fullback, but an average-to-poor defender.

If true, Ancelotti (or his successor) will have an even harder time restoring balance to a side already struggling for structure.

Perhaps it’s for the best that someone else tries.

Published by Patrick Jane
30.04.2025