Ancelotti's future with Real Madrid depends on a continental achievement

Carlo Ancelotti knows better than anyone how quickly things can change at Real Madrid.

After turning the tables on Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid was elated for several reasons: defeating a European elite club, humiliating an economic rival, neutralizing Argentine Lionel Messi, and convincing Kylian Mbappe of the feasibility of the move, as many believe.

The Royal Club was on the verge of winning the Spanish League title, and suddenly it became a contender for the European Champions League.

Three weeks later, the progress in the league remains unchanged thanks to the meager, if morally good, victory over Celta Vigo on Saturday.

But no credit to Ancelotti.

Real Madrid was waiting until Tuesday to decide whether its coach would be able to travel with him to the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Chelsea on Wednesday, after he tested positive for Covid-19 last week.

The outcome of this confrontation may be decisive as to whether or not the Italian will continue to coach Real Madrid next season.

This is because the humiliating El Clasico loss at home to Barcelona had its own repercussions.

Imagine that eight months of exciting work and effort could be wiped out almost completely in a disastrous 90 minutes.

Ancelotti has been criticized for the team's counter-attacking style and lack of rotation, particularly how they lost to PSG in the first leg.

But maintaining the top of the league prevented doubts.

The 4-0 loss to Barcelona and to the Santiago Bernabeu brought doubts back to the fore, not least because that result was a warning of what might come.

Barcelona are 11 points behind Real Madrid in the table, but it is the young and young team of Xavi Hernandez who will finish the season as the strongest team in Spain.

For Ancelotti, defeat in the Clasico means that winning the Spanish League may no longer be enough.

Thus, how they win the title with eight stages remaining, and how they perform against Chelsea, will determine how the first year of Ancelotti's second term is viewed.

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez met Ancelotti during the international break, and while Perez reassured Ancelotti that his future was secure, there was a great need for talks.

When Ancelotti was sacked from Real Madrid in 2015, a year after winning the Champions League, he later admitted that the moment he was told he was going to meet Perez was when he first learned that his days were numbered.

More compelling options

Ancelotti's return last summer was a surprise to everyone, including him and Peres.

It was just a random conversation between the two of them and it bore an idea that quickly formed.

"It happened quickly," Ancelotti said at the time.

This contributed to the feeling that this appointment was short-lived, and could be terminated without much fanfare or a fine.

And if the parting is written this summer, it is unlikely to be bitter.

With winning the league title, both sides will consider it a successful season.

But Ancelotti's appointment may also have been a reversal of the market last summer, when there was a dearth of top coaches available.

Barcelona began looking for a replacement for Dutchman Ronald Koeman, but he stuck with him after finding that no one was suitable at the time.

Manchester United stayed with Norway's Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, while Juventus returned to Maximiliano Allegri.

The options may be more convincing next summer, as Argentine Mauricio Pochettino is expected to part with Saint-Germain, Eric ten Hag may be ready to leave Ajax, and Raul Gonzalez, the legendary former Real Madrid striker, will have completed three years with the second team, and could potentially be more convincing next summer. Be ready to follow the approach of French Zinedine Zidane.

If we look at Chelsea's ownership situation, German Thomas Tuchel may be a tempting option.

Even if a solution is found for Chelsea's future and Tochel is assured, his presence in this confrontation is embarrassing for Ancelotti, as he is the German who represents the type of youngest and most progressive coach that Madrid has avoided so far, but may need him in the race with Barcelona Xavi.

The positive performance should be enough to convince Perez that Ancelotti deserves a second season, especially with Mbappe expected to join in the summer.

Ancelotti has a track record of extracting the best from the best players.

His work with Brazilian Vinicius Junior, who currently plays for Mbappe, was a huge transformation.

But defeat will make Ancelotti vulnerable, and the loss of El Clasico will combine at a time when his critics gather ammunition to bring him down.

Therefore, he knows that there is no margin for error.

Follow our latest local and sports news and the latest political and economic developments via Google news