Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti is on the cusp of redemption
For months, Real Madrid fans had been criticizing Carlo Ancelotti harshly, and many of us were astounded to see how calm Real’s leadership was behind the scenes. Now, nobody rational thought firing Ancelotti mid-season was a good idea, but after watching how poorly the team played against Barcelona, Athletic Bilbao, Villarreal, PSG, and several other opponents in 2022, there were serious doubts about Carlo being able to keep this job beyond 2021/22.
It is too early to say that Ancelotti has redeemed himself. But after Real’s 3-1 win over Chelsea in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals, it is fair to say that Ancelotti provided an excellent – and important- response on a big stage.
Coming into the match, Madridistas were nervous. They were nervous about Ancelotti’s ability to select the best possible lineup against Chelsea and to hang with Thomas Tuchel, who won the Champions League the previous season. Tuchel is one of the world’s best managers, a master tactician, and embarrassed Real in 2021.
Well, Ancelotti wasn’t embarrassed. He got all of the big decisions spot-on, including his starting XI and subs. Most refreshingly, Ancelotti started Fede Valverde on the right wing, listening to the fans for once. And Valverde rewarded him and Madridistas with a vital performance.
Carlo Ancelotti can earn back the trust of Real Madrid fans
Ancelotti’s flaws have been picked apart throughout 2022. His lack of rotations, unwillingness to use his young talents, overreliance on KCM, and affinity for Marco Asensio have frustrated Madridistas. We did not see any of those issues on display against Chelsea, as he went with common sense and made all the right moves.
If Ancelotti can send Real Madrid to the semifinals of the Champions League, secure LaLiga, and keep doing a good job of utilizing the likes of Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga, then he will take a huge step forward in winning back trust from the fanbase.
At the end of the day, Florentino Perez and the other key decision-makers at the club hold Ancelotti’s future in their hands. But the fans have a say, too. If fans do not have faith in a manager, that manager will not last very long in Madrid. Ancelotti has been walking a fine line, and he did cross it with his disasterclass against Barcelona.
But this win over Chelsea, as dependent as it was on another Karim Benzema hat trick, is a sign that Ancelotti can indeed learn from his mistakes, even as fans were skeptical of this after watching him repeat the same errors over and over again. It shows that Ancelotti is fully capable of repeating strong tactical performances and putting his XI in a position to succeed.
If he can build on this in the second leg at the Bernabeu and going forward in both LaLiga and the remaining Champions League fixtures, then we will have to praise Ancelotti fully – beyond even just talking about “redemption” from the legendary manager. And if not, then Real will have to think about those serious discussions.
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For now, Madridistas have a reason to be optimistic, and that is a comforting feeling. As much as fans feel a responsibility to be critical in order to keep the standards at the club high, I do not know anyone who genuinely wants to criticize Ancelotti or see him fail. He is far too likable, respected, and accomplished.