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PAUL POLO
Updated
Nothing can surprise a coach like Carlo Ancelotti. He has experienced crises of all colors at Milan, PSG or Bayern. However, his triumphant time at Real Madrid has not freed him from being the main player on occasion.. Throughout his two stages, there has been a particularly delicate moment, with ingredients that in some ways resemble the crisis he is currently facing after the painful defeat in the Clásico and after a hesitant start to the season, already six points away. of Barça, another three draws in the League and another defeat in the Champions League against Lille. In both cases of storm, the Italian came from a good wave, with titles and historic streaks that have been abruptly interrupted.
The first occurred in his second season of his first cycle, in 14-15. The coach had just won 22 consecutive games, leaving a record in the history of Real Madrid, they had won the Champions League in Lisbon the previous season (this time they also won the European Cup) and despite not having won the League it was a campaign with more titles: Copa del Rey, Super Cup of Europe and the Club World Cup. However, the defeat at Mestalla that January broke the excellent streak and right after came another defeat against Atlético in the Cup (2-0) that they could not overcome later at the Bernabéu. The coach then fell resoundingly in February at the Calderón 4-0, with that famous gratitude at the end of the season I hammered Kevin Roldan, He would also lose to Barça and Athletic in the League and, although he was able to get the team back on track in the championship – he reached 92 points – it was not enough to catch Barça. In the Champions League they lost in the semifinals against Juventus and Madrid did not renew their contract and signed Rafa Benítez.
Reactions of one of the night’s scorers in the mixed zone.
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Ancelotti once again faces the challenge of staying afloat and getting back on track. As then, he has just said goodbye to another historic streak with the defeat in the Classic. Despite not being able to surpass Valverde’s 43 days at Barça without losing, he has broken the record in Madrid’s history with 42 consecutive days without losing. Now we have to see how he emerges from this new crisis. Unlike the first, he now has a valid contract, until 2026, so the club would have to break the bond if at any time it considers a replacement on the bench necessary. Another difference is that it arrived at the end of November and not in January, so there is more time ahead and aside from the League and the Champions League, there is the new club World Cup and the return of the old Intercontinental, next December 18, so there is plenty of room to turn the situation around even if the League were lost. The new FIFA tournament, with more relevance as it becomes a world tournament with 32 clubswill also close the season and becomes a double-edged sword for the greats who arrive with more urgency.
In the 22-23, another delicate moment that was overcome
Ancelotti’s 22-23 campaign was not anything to write home about either, but Madrid kept their trust in their coach intact. It is a good sign for Carletto because he had just won the Champions League in Paris against Liverpool and despite being ten points behind Barça in the League, be eliminated before the City in the semifinals with that painful 4-0 in the second leg in the Etihad or fall into Spanish Super Cup against Barçathe club kept the coach after winning the European Super Cup, the Club World Cup and the Copa del Rey, and ended up doing last season’s double in another historic season.
It wasn’t a controversial match and it wasn’t hard either, but the Classic left two hooks in which sparks flew. The first was between Gavi and Vinicius on the pitch.
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Each delicate moment yields its conclusions. The injuries have not helped either, but Barça’s 0-4 has confirmed for many the weaknesses of this Madrid without Kroos and with Mbappé. To begin with, Carletto has not yet found the key to these two substantial changes. Beyond the very poor performance of many of Carletto’s capital players in last season’s doublethe coach does not find the ideal place for Bellinghamin the shadow of the other stars after shining in their first season, the change in system, the defensive weakness or the physical decline that was seen in the second half of the Classic. Lamine Yamal revealed that they were surprised by Madrid’s fatigue at half-time.
Heat map of Bellingham during the ClassicBRAND
After the match at Mestalla was postponed, Ancelotti will have to wait until Tuesday with the visit of Milanon the return of the Champions League, to gauge the impact of the defeat in the Classic and their ability to recover. There are reasons in the club to believe in the reaction. Without going any further, last season injuries also affected the team and the season ended as everyone knows: a historic double. In the League, however, Flick’s Barça was not there and it is well known that crises are weathered better when the eternal rival is not a threat.
