Real Madrid is expecting turbulent weeks ahead. It is a time of change and difficult decisions that will shape the coming weeks and the immediate future of the club. One decision that seems to have been made is to part ways with Carlo Ancelotti, who already has a departure date. Another item on the agenda is his successor, which will first involve an interim coach, sparking an internal battle.
Ancelotti’s departure
Carlo Ancelotti will end his time as Real Madrid coach in the coming weeks. The decision is final and a date has been set. The Italian coach will finish the regular season but will no longer coach the team in the Club World Cup. After losing the Copa del Rey final to Barcelona, the only option left is to fight for the league title, but the defeat in the Copa suggests that the match in just under two weeks’ time will be the end of the team’s aspirations.
An interim coach for the Club World Cup
With little time to maneuver and not wanting to expose the new coach ahead of next season, everything points to the team bringing in an interim coach for the Club World Cup, which begins in mid-June.
Although several names have been mentioned, everything seems to indicate that Solari will fulfill this role, as he did before. Solari has the confidence of Florentino and José Ángel Sánchez and is perfectly integrated into the club’s structure as Director of Football. He also knows the ins and outs of the job, having done it for 32 games in 2018-19 after Lopetegui’s dismissal and before Zidane’s second arrival.
Raúl, out of Castilla?
Normally, when a big team dispenses with its first-team coach, it usually opts for the coach of the reserve team, even if only on an interim basis until the new coach arrives. In the case of Real Madrid, Raúl González has been waiting a long time for a move that has not come. In recent weeks, when there has been talk of a replacement for Ancelotti during the Club World Cup, as we said, Solari has always been mentioned as the priority option, with even Arbeloa’s name coming up, ahead of Raúl.
A secondary role that could not end there. According to Relevo, Raúl may not be at Castilla next season, with Arbeloa taking his place. This could happen for several reasons. The first is that Raúl makes the definitive decision to leave the club, something that seems unlikely as the Real Madrid legend has earned the right to decide and is very comfortable coaching the youth team and settled in the Spanish capital. On the other hand, it could be the club that removes Raúl from the reserve team bench. There has been talk of this for months, but it does not seem to be a firm decision.
The future of the Real Madrid legend seems more up in the air than ever, and the coming weeks will be decisive.