“I will never beat his achievements in the Champions League,” Pep Guardiola, one of the greatest managers and a football radical who redefined the game, said a few years ago about Carlo Ancelotti.
Monikered The Don with his signature charismatic eyebrow raise, Ancelotti has held the handles of glory five times — three with his current team, Real Madrid and twice with the legendary AC Milan. Beyond that, the Italian from Reggiolo, a town famed for its Parmesan cheese, is the only manager in history to have won league titles in all five of Europe’s major leagues.
After 16 years as a top-flight player and 30 more as a manager, Ancelotti — who won five trophies just last season — now finds himself under scrutiny for a rare off-year. But all good things must come to an end, and after Real Madrid’s 5-1 demolition at the hands of Arsenal in the Champions League quarter-finals, that end seems closer than ever.
A coach whose unruly style of play, adept at adapting different systems with ease, has seen his pragmatism turn into a source of cynicism among many Madridistas. His pragmatism might be misconstrued Yet his approach — steady, effective, and player-focused — remains every club or federation president’s dream.
Ancelotti has long been linked with the Brazil national team job, with CBF President Ednaldo Rodrigues publicly naming him as his preferred choice to lead the Seleção after Tite stepped down following the 2022 World Cup. However, loyalty to Madrid and continued success kept Ancelotti tied to the Santiago Bernabéu.
Still, managing Madrid’s latest generation of Galácticos has not been easy. With injuries and retirements leaving gaps unfilled, balancing a squad loaded with talent like Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Jr., Rodrygo Goes, Brahim Díaz, Jude Bellingham, and Arda Güler has been an uphill battle — even for a coach who once juggled the likes of Kaká, Rui Costa, Andrea Pirlo, and Clarence Seedorf in a star-studded Milan midfield.
As Ancelotti once explained in an interview with The Guardian, “A coach has to be close to players, understand them. You have an idea of the game, but they’re the ones playing. If the relationship is good, they will understand clearly; if it’s not good, that becomes harder.”
Despite strong relationships with his players, results have faltered and with Madridistas questioning whether he is the man to lead this new era, Saturday evening might be his last realistic chance of achieving glory with this club.
Trailing FC Barcelona by four points with only five La Liga games remaining, Madrid’s chances of retaining their title look slim. However, if he achieves glory in Sevilla, he won’t be just winning them their 21st Copa del Rey title but would also deliver the sweet satisfaction of derailing their eternal rivals’ treble (or even quadruple) ambitions.
A rejuvenated Barcelona under Hansi Flick, who have already hammered Madrid 4-0 at the Bernabéu in La Liga and 5-2 in the Spanish Super Cup. With the domestic title closer than ever, Barcelona are also among the frontrunners for the Champions League and Copa del Rey trophies.
Ancelotti’s last dance? Saturday may just decide it.