What’s the story?
Carlo Ancelotti has mentioned two issues which spoiled his relationship with the Real Madrid president Florentino Perez. The first was UEFA statistics which revealed that the Los Blancos did not train as much as other European clubs while the second was the disagreement with Gareth Bale’s agent.
In his book, he mentioned: "The first was caused by UEFA statistics that 'revealed' that the team did not have as many hours of training as other European clubs. The club pressed: 'We have to work harder'. I thought the opposite. The players had to rest, we had a month of injuries and fatigue that was crucial to losing the League. The statistics were a sign that Madrid had more faith in numbers than in my work."
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"The second was caused by Bale's agent who complained that Gareth wanted to play in the centre, the president asked me what I was going to do and my answer was: 'Nothing'. We could not change the system mid-season. The president was not the same again."
In case you didn’t know…
Ancelotti, the former manager of the Spanish club Real Madrid is the only manager to win the Champions League three times. Ancelotti, in his first season with Real Madrid, won the Copa del Rey by defeating Barcelona 2-1. He also won the coveted trophy by defeating Atletico Madrid and then won Real Madrid’s first FIFA Club World Cup title. Under him, Los Blancos set a Spanish record of 22 consecutive match victories.
In the 2014-15 season, Real Madrid finished runners-up in the La Liga and they were eliminated in the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey. After failing to win trophies in second his season at Real Madrid, Ancelotti was sacked by the club’s board. Florentino Perez announced at that time, "At this club the demands are huge and we need a new impulse in order to win trophies and be at our best."
The heart of the matter
Big name players including Sergio Ramos, Gareth Bale, Luka Modric and Pepe got injured under Ancelotti in his last season. These injuries led to less training and it was one of the major reasons to give players an extended break.
Bale, meanwhile, as a winger in his debut season, scored 22 goals and made 16 assists in all competitions. Also, Real Madrid’s BBC trio scored 97 goals in the season. These statistics clearly indicate why Ancelotti didn’t want any change in the formation of the team.
What’s next?
Going by the norm, it is clear that the future of Zinedine Zidane is in danger. If Real Madrid fail to win the La Liga this season, then it might result in the sacking of the Frenchman despite the tremendous success he has had in previous seasons.
Author’s Take
Florentino Perez should start trusting his manager and let him do his job rather than trying to get involved with matters on the field. Madrid have risen to the top of European football in recent years and with the success they have had, it is surprising to see so many managers being given the sack.
