Carlo Ancelotti's Farewell Signal

SEVILLA, SUNDAY — Real Madrid's failure to win the Copa del Rey has further placed Carlo Ancelotti's future in uncertainty. Ancelotti is believed to be on the brink of dismissal. Nevertheless, he will still make one last effort to secure the La Liga title.

Ancelotti is increasingly being linked with the role of head coach for the Brazilian national team should he be dismissed from Real. Transfer expert journalist, Fabrizio Romano, revealed that the Brazilian national team is very confident it can soon receive the green light to pursue Ancelotti.

Last season, Ancelotti was also widely rumored to be coaching Brazil. However, the Italian coach chose to remain at Real after successfully winning La Liga and the UEFA Champions League.

"He will join before the Club World Cup, a clear indication from Brazil. The Federation envoy remains in Spain to finalize the agreement, awaiting a decision or action from Real Madrid," wrote Romano on his social media account, Sunday (27/4/2025) evening.

The issue of Ancelotti's departure from Real has intensified following the defeat to Barca in the Supercopa de España final. Real nearly overturned predictions and almost created a miracle when they were leading 2-1.

However, "Los Blancos" failed to maintain their lead with just 13 minutes remaining in the match. Goals from Ferran Torres and Jules Kounde ultimately led Barca to a 3-2 victory, securing the main trophy of the season. Previously, Barca, under the guidance of coach Hansi Flick, had already won the Spanish Super Cup.

On the other hand, this result is a deep bitterness for Carlo Ancelotti. The Real coach has consistently been powerless every time facing Flick. In three "El Clasico" matches this season, Ancelotti has always suffered defeat.

In recent weeks, the turmoil surrounding Ancelotti's future has become palpable, especially after Real was eliminated from the Champions League. Since that moment, Ancelotti has been increasingly linked with an exit from Real, despite having a contract that runs until the end of next season. The speculation regarding Ancelotti's dismissal has intensified following Real's failure to win the Copa del Rey.

"I can stay here (at Real) or leave. That will be a topic of discussion in the coming weeks," said Ancelotti when asked about the defeat to Barca in the Copa del Rey, which may affect his future at Real.

Support for Ancelotti to remain comes, among others, from legendary Italian coach Arrigo Sacchi. Sacchi urged Real to think twice before dismissing Ancelotti.

"What makes me sad, even though it is part of football, is that everyone criticizes Carlo for being eliminated from the Champions League and blames him. Do these people know who Ancelotti is? Do they know what he has won? I consider him a true football expert, not just because of his trophies, but also because of the quality of his humanity," said Sacchi, as quoted by The Telegraph.

During his first period coaching Real from 2013 to 2015, Ancelotti experienced the bitterness of dismissal. The club officials did not retain him despite delivering the Champions League trophy and the Copa del Rey in the 2013-2014 season. At Real, the final results are everything. The position of the Real coach is highly threatened if the season ends without a trophy.

In the past 36 years, Real has had 33 different coaches. It is very rare for a coach to last more than three seasons at Real. Only Vicente Del Bosque and Jose Mourinho have managed to stay for three seasons in charge of Real.

Given the current situation, it is hard to imagine that Ancelotti could escape the threat of dismissal at the end of the season. The performance of the Real coach is monitored based on the ongoing season. They will not show any mercy if the coach fails to deliver a single trophy in a season.

Therefore, the defeat to Barcelona in the final of the Copa del Rey further puts Ancelotti's position under pressure. Real has been eliminated from the UEFA Champions League. Now, the only opportunity for Ancelotti to present a remaining trophy is in La Liga.

"I'm hurt, it was close. We were close to winning. Now we'll focus on winning La Liga," Ancelotti said.

Realizing that the defeat in the final of the Copa del Rey would bring him closer to the exit door at Real, Ancelotti, who is usually calm, became expressive. Throughout the match, he did not stop chewing gum to relieve the tension.

Ancelotti even got a yellow card in the first half due to his excessive protest. When the ball hit the Barca player's hand in several moments, Ancelotti showed a gesture of clapping his left hand as a sign of handball to the referee.

The result of the match ultimately did not go Ancelotti's way. Real still lost despite recovering from falling behind early.

Pedri's goal was answered by Kylian Mbappe. Aurelien Tchouameni brought Real back into the lead with his header. However, a lapse in concentration in the final minutes allowed Ferran Torres to successfully force a draw, necessitating the match to proceed to extra time.

Jules Kounde then emerged as the hero of Barcelona's victory with his goal four minutes before the end of the match. The final score remained 3-2. Barcelona also embraced the Copa del Rey trophy for the 32nd time.

"Today, with great courage in facing a formidable opponent, we know what it feels like to suffer and how to remain united in the most difficult times. That is why we were able to achieve this victory. Here is where the true courage of this team is revealed," said Barca defender, Inigo Martinez.

The victory over Real also extends the golden record of Hansi Flick's coaching career. Flick has long been known as a specialist in finals. Throughout his career, Flick has led his teams to the final eight times, and all of those ended in victory.

"I often say that I am here with my team to create a positive atmosphere in the club and the locker room, so that the players can enjoy themselves and play at a high level," said Flick. (REUTERS)