Carlo Ancelotti is leaving Real Madrid at the end of this season. The Italian coach is leaving with the bar set very high for his successor, with 15 titles under his belt, including no less than three Champions League titles. But beyond the titles, a coach with unparalleled charisma is leaving, a father to his players, capable of managing a star-studded dressing room and getting the best out of them to take them to the top of European and world football.
A coach who is friends with his players
Carlo Ancelotti has always acknowledged that he does not know how to be a tough coach; it is not his style. He prefers to treat his players like brothers, more like a father to his children. As a former player himself, he knows how to get inside the players’ heads, he understands their anger, he understands what they want, he understands their selfishness, and his temperament and personality have enabled him to handle situations that would be complex for other coaches, and all without having to be heavy-handed.
Perhaps that heavy hand has been lacking at times this season, but that is not the only thing that has been missing. There are more flaws in the makeup of the squad that are beyond his control. More things have been lacking this year, he has seen them and has spoken up to try to turn things around, but to little avail. He has not been listened to or heeded, and in the end, he has been the one sacrificed.
Carlo Ancelotti’s record
Carlo Ancelotti leaves with 15 titles, making him the most successful coach in the club’s history. The three Champions League titles stand out. The first of these came during his first spell, in May 2014, with that legendary goal by Sergio Ramos in the 93rd minute against Atlético Madrid, which forced extra time in a final that seemed lost, and where the Whites ended up thrashing a dejected Rojiblancos side. The second final was won in 2022 against Liverpool, where Courtois was a wall and Vinicius sealed the victory in the second half. And the last one was last year against Dortmund, with goals from Carvajal and Vinicius. These three Champions League titles brought with them the three respective European Super Cups and the three Club World Cups.
Only six domestic titles
Much has been won in Europe, but not so much in domestic competitions. Ancelotti has only managed to win two La Liga titles, both in his second spell, in the 2021-2022 and 2023-2024 seasons. In his first spell, he saw Barcelona and Atlético Madrid deny him the domestic title.
In each of his spells, he has won one Copa del Rey: the first was against Barcelona in the 2013-2014 season, and the second was against Osasuna in the 2022-2023 season.
Finally, the two Spanish Super Cups that Carlo Ancelotti won with Real Madrid were also during his second spell, in 2021-2022, beating Athletic Club in the final, and in 2023-2024 against Barcelona.
Farewell to Real Madrid’s most successful coach
The story between Real Madrid and Carlo Ancelotti has come to an end. A coach who has become a legend at the club is leaving. He will depart with honors, with the farewell he deserves, with the Santiago Bernabéu stadium paying tribute to a coach who has understood perfectly what this team, this badge, and this history represent. With a unique character that has led Real Madrid to one of the most successful periods in the history of the club, which, to this day, remains the best in the history of soccer.