The future of Carlo Ancelotti remains very uncertain at Real Madrid. His departure at the end of the season could be a reality, but this year the team faces an unprecedented challenge, the Club World Cup. If Ancelotti’s departure is confirmed, the team would be unsure whether to keep the Italian coach on the bench for this event or bring in a new coach for the event, with no time to prepare the team, which would be a risk given the team’s poor performance. For this reason, the club is considering having Raúl coach during this period. He would have a lot to gain and little to lose at the helm of the team.
Ancelotti on the tightrope
Carlo Ancelotti is on the tightrope to continue this season at Real Madrid. The team’s poor image during the season and, above all, the resounding elimination against Arsenal, have left the Italian coach on the verge of dismissal, despite having a contract until June 2026. If he manages to win the Copa del Rey and LaLiga, his future would be almost assured, but if he fails to win either of the two titles, Florentino Pérez could decide to sack him at the end of the season.
Doubts over the Club World Cup
However, the Club World Cup could change everything. Real Madrid are unsure whether, if the decision is made not to keep Ancelotti, he will remain as coach during the Club World Cup. One option would be to let him participate in the tournament; after all, the team is playing in the tournament thanks to his management last season. But given the dates on which it is held, the team must have its future defined by then. It would be ugly and inappropriate for the coach to continue knowing that he would be out of a job at the end of the championship, and the situation would be even worse if the team ended up winning the title.
However, the option of bringing in a new coach also raises questions, as he would have little time to introduce his system to the team, would run the risk of a poor performance, and it would be the worst way to start the new project for next season.
Raúl is in the running to coach in the Club World Cup
To avoid problems with the current coach or whoever might come in, Real Madrid is considering bringing in an interim coach to take charge of the team for the Club World Cup. This would avoid conflicts and controversy with Ancelotti and prevent the coach for next season from getting off to a bad start in a tournament with global repercussions.
Raúl could be the man chosen for several reasons. Obviously, he is a man of the club, he knows Real Madrid like no one else, he knows the demands of the club, its values, and he is a legend of the team. In addition, it would be a way to gauge his abilities at the helm of the first team, something that would serve as a reference for the future of the team should they need to call on him. If Real Madrid has a bad World Cup, they would have an excuse to justify it and their image would not be damaged. If he manages to perform well and even win the championship, he would elevate his legend and be a player to watch in the future. There would be no need to look outside the club for a new coach in the future, as the solution would be right there at home.
Santiago Solari is Real Madrid’s second choice to lead the team in the summer. The Argentine was already in charge of the team for a few months between 2018 and 2019, and the club believes he is more than ready to lead the team in the World Cup. Although he is the second choice, he could be chosen to avoid damaging Ancelotti or the coach who will lead the team next season.
Real Madrid has doubts about who should coach the team for the Club World Cup and could opt for a solution that would be well received by a large part of the Madrid fanbase.