Carlo Ancelotti expected to leave Real Madrid before the end of the season

Despite having won the UEFA Champions League on three separate occasions with Real Madrid, Carlo Ancelotti’s time at the club appears to be drawing to a close following a brutal exit from the competition to Arsenal.

Sky Sports have reported that the Italian is expected to leave Real Madrid after the Copa del Rey final against Barcelona on 26th April.

Few could criticise the job that Ancelotti has done during his two stints at Los Blancos, but with the squad at his disposal and the expectations arguably higher than ever before, dropping out of the UEFA Champions League at the quarter-final stage is viewed as unacceptable.

Serial winners of Europe’s most prestigious competition, the club have a record 15 UEFA Champions League honours to their name, with their latest coming in the 2023/24 term.

With Real Madrid adding Kylian Mbappe to an attack already consisting of Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo, it almost felt as if a 16th UEFA Champions League title was inevitable, but defeat to Arsenal over two legs means that is no longer a possibility.

Not just a defeat for the Spanish giants, but a footballing lesson taught by Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal.

A dominant first-leg performance meant the Gunners took a 3-0 lead to the Santiago Bernabeu. Ancelotti’s side were once again toothless the second time round, lacking a cutting edge and only scoring as a result of a rare William Saliba mistake.

Despite that, Arsenal were still 2-1 winners on the night thanks to goals from Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli. A 5-1 defeat on aggregate for Real Madrid, unsettling Ancelotti’s future at the club.

In a post-match press conference after the defeat, Ancelotti commented on his future, saying: “It could be this year, next year when my contract runs out. There's no problem about it.

"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.”

Following the announcement that Ancelotti could be set to leave the club in the coming weeks, reports have emerged that Brazil are seeking the appointment of the former Everton boss.

While he has a number of top European clubs under his belt, he is yet to venture into international football.

If Ancelotti was to take the Brazil job, he would be reunited with Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo, Eder Militao and Endrick depending on the Italian’s squad selection.

Ellis Statham

• Real Madrid CF
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