Will coach Carlo Ancelotti leave Real Madrid or not? That scenario is entirely possible after a season that did not meet expectations.
Ancelotti's Real Madrid have not played convincingly throughout the year, with 3 defeats against Barcelona, as well as poor performances in the Champions League. They lost to Lille, AC Milan and Liverpool, forced to beat Manchester City in the play-off match to reach the round of 16.
Over the past month, things have really started to get worse for the "White Vultures". They conceded four goals at the Bernabeu against Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey, losing 1-2 at home to Valencia, who are under threat of relegation. And then there was a crushing 0-3 defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates, leading to their elimination.
A quarter-final stop in the Champions League is not good enough for Real Madrid, who have won six of their last 11 seasons, three of those under Ancelotti.
The Copa del Rey final was an opportunity for Real to save some of their pride. In fact, Ancelotti's team showed improvement, but could not complete the task, losing in extra time to Barcelona. Now they have to rely on bridging the four-point gap with the Blaugrana in La Liga.
There are some mitigating factors, notably Real Madrid's injury crisis that has lasted throughout the season. Defenders Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao have been absent for most of the season. But despite that, Ancelotti has yet to fully exploit the potential of this team.
There is no place for failure at the Bernabeu. The "White Vultures" sacked Vicente del Bosque right after winning La Liga in 2003. This season is not good enough, and that means Ancelotti will leave.
So will Ancelotti automatically leave or be fired by Los Blancos? That is a key question, for a simple reason: money.
If Ancelotti resigns, he will give up the final year of his contract, which is believed to be worth around €11 million a season (before tax).
As Real Madrid coach, waiting to be fired is almost inevitable at some point, and then receiving compensation is much more meaningful. Ancelotti's predecessor, Zinedine Zidane - a coach who is often immune to pressure - is the only captain to have resigned recently, in 2021.
Real also reluctantly sacked Ancelotti, despite the respect and affection between the two sides. Especially after many successful years in the past. The ideal scenario is a common agreement on Ancelotti's departure terms, approved by Italian coach and club president Florentino Perez. According to ESPN, these figures are expected to meet to discuss that accurately in the near future.
Real Madrid are still in the race for the La Liga championship, with El Clasico vs Barcelona taking place this weekend. "We are thinking about the present. We want to focus on fighting in La Liga until the last minute," Ancelotti said last weekend.
Some reports from outside Spain suggest Ancelotti will leave earlier, even right after the Copa del Rey final. However, that did not happen.
A season-end farewell - after the final match against Real Sociedad - is more likely. Of course, the announcement could be made a few days earlier, so that the club can prepare an appropriate farewell.
However, Real Madrid will consider the La Liga comeback match as the final match of the season, not the FIFA Club World Cup this summer.
Ancelotti was not expected to lead Real to this tournament, partly because that complicated his next plan. That is the plan to take over the Brazilian national team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup next month.
