Ancelotti Bids Farewell After Trophyless Season

The 4–3 loss to Barcelona, the fourth Clásico defeat of the season, was the final blow for Carlo Ancelotti's tenure at Real Madrid. Despite being the most decorated coach in the club’s history with 15 trophies, the board led by Florentino Pérez has decided to accelerate his departure following a season without major titles.

On Monday morning, the day after the Clásico, club officials held meetings to coordinate Ancelotti's farewell. Though he still had a year left on his contract, the Italian manager will not continue and is set to take over the Brazilian national team, with the 2026 World Cup as the main objective.

Xabi Takes Charge Immediately With Demands

Looking to avoid previous missteps with interim managers like Santiago Solari, Real Madrid has chosen Xabi Alonso as the long-term successor. After concluding his successful stint at Bayer Leverkusen, Xabi will be officially unveiled in the coming days and will make his debut at the Club World Cup, which kicks off on June 14 in the United States.

He has already requested reinforcements, particularly in defense. The main name on the table is Trent Alexander-Arnold, whose contract with Liverpool ends on June 30. Real Madrid is negotiating an early release to have the full-back available for the tournament. Other rumored targets include Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth and Álvaro Carreras from Benfica, although nothing is confirmed yet.

The Spanish coach arrives with a number of immediate challenges: a depleted and fatigued squad, key players injured, and limited time for preparation as most of the roster will be on international duty before the Club World Cup.

There’s no transition period—Xabi Alonso will step in and take full control immediately. His mission: to reshape Real Madrid on the fly and compete for global silverware. The pressure is on, and there’s no room for experiments.