Except Ancelotti overturns the first leg defeat, he is likely to be sent packing in the summer with Pochettino a target.
When a club like Real Madrid loses a game, it becomes fodder for the media, and the media has gone agog over Real Madrid’s loss to Paris Saint-Germain.
Real Madrid have a history of having a short fuse regarding their personnel. The standards at the Santiago Bernabeu are so high. History is replete with coaches sacked despite winning trophies for the club. Vicente del Bosque is perhaps the most famous of them. The Spaniard, who would later lead Spain to a Euro title, was fired after winning the Champions League for Real Madrid.
For Los Blancos, winning titles is not enough. The team has to win in style. Carlo Ancelotti is very familiar with this ethos, having coached the club in the past. Real Madrid lost 1-0 to PSG in the first leg of their second-round UEFA Champions League tie, raising speculations over Ancelotti’s job.
Speculations over Ancelotti
There are suggestions in the media that Real Madrid top guns are unhappy with Carlo Ancelotti after the loss to PSG in the Champions League on Tuesday night. Speculations are rife of the Italian being in line to be given the boot in the summer, with Mauricio Pochettino the likely replacement.
Ancelotti set up his team to counter the threat of Kylian Mbappe and his pace. It was a top defensive performance that limited PSG to few chances. Los Blancos, however, offered little in attack. The narrow 1-0 loss was made more painful by the timing of the goal. Mbappe, limited to half chances, managed to break through the Madrid defence with the last kick of the game.
According to AS, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez was angered by how the Italian gaffer set up the team. The Spanish publication reports that Ancelotti’s job is on the line if he fails to see Los Blancos through to the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
Pochettino reported as an option
The reports this week insinuates that Real Madrid are about to reverse the roles on PSG. The Paris club has in its ranks former Real Madrid players.
With Kylian Mbappe still likely to join Real Madrid in the summer, there are suggestions in the media that the Spanish club are eyeing Mauricio Pochettino. Ancelotti is unlikely to depart Los Merengues before the end of the season, and he could remain at the helm should he survive PSG and win La Liga.
According to media reports, Pochettino, an acclaimed bottler, is the number one target for the decision-makers at the Santiago Bernabeu. Manchester United have shown a long interest in the Argentine gaffer.
Ancelotti has to turn the tie on PSG in the second leg to stand a chance of retaining his job beyond the summer.
By :
Steven D. Thompson
