Under-fire Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti provided a timeline for when his future at the Santiago Bernabeu will be decided after watching his side suffer a tight 3-2 defeat in the Copa del Rey final against arch rivals Barcelona on Saturday night.
A close battle at Estadio Olimpico de Sevilla
Ancelotti’s men battled back from a 1-0 half-time deficit in Saturday’s final, with a Kylian Mbappe free-kick and an Aurelien Tchouameni header putting them 2-1 ahead. However, Ferran Torres capitalized on Lamine Yamal’s brilliant pass to equalize in the 84th minute.
Barcelona had a late penalty decision overturned after VAR’s intervention and the match headed into extra time. Jules Kounde punished Brahim Diaz’s hesitation after a pass from Luka Modric, firing low and hard past a despairing Thibaut Courtois in the 116th minute to seal the game for Barca, just as the match seemed destined for penalties.
Ancelotti’s uncertain future
Following Real Madrid’s elimination from the Champions League, Ancelotti’s future at the Spanish capital became the subject of unrelenting media speculation and Saturday’s defeat to Barcelona has only served to fuel the existing speculations.
Quizzed about his future after the game, Ancelotti said as per beIN Sports: “I can go on, I can stop, but it will be an issue for the next few weeks, not for today.”
Real Madrid’s only hope of silverware
Madrid’s only hope of winning silverware now is in La Liga where they trail behind leaders Barcelona by four points. The vastly experienced Italian boss wasted no time in emphasizing that his team will continue to fight until the end.
“We have competed and we will also compete at Barcelona in the upcoming league game [on May 11], we will compete like we did tonight.
“We have to keep competing for the league title, we played a level game and were very close to lifting the cup.
“I’m hurt for not being able to lift the cup, but I have nothing to reproach my players for, because we played the game we had to play.”
Olaoluwa is a dedicated sports writer and passionate football enthusiast with two years of experience. Known for his keen analysis and commitment to the game, his work reflects a deep love for football, blending strategic insight with the emotional moments that make it a global passion. He is focused on honing his skills and consistently aims to inspire and engage readers through every article he writes.
