Spanish media sharpen their knives: 'Ancelotti has been stagnant for years.'

After Real Madrid's 4-0 defeat against Manchester City, Spanish media are pointing an accusatory finger at coach Carlo Ancelotti.

Spanish media sharpen their knives: 'Ancelotti has been stagnant for years.' Embed from Getty Images

After Real Madrid's 4-0 defeat against Manchester City, Spanish media are pointing an accusatory finger at coach Carlo Ancelotti. The coach, who was celebrated last year for winning La Liga and the Champions League, among other titles, now reportedly faces an uncertain future, according to sports newspapers.

The front pages of the Spanish sports newspapers leave no room for interpretation. AS finds the defeat in England "heartbreaking" and observed that Real Madrid was ruthlessly dealt with. "They were outclassed from the first whistle. Courtois will be the only survivor in the post-match analysis of this disaster. Vinícius was overshadowed by Walker, Benzema was absent, Rodrygo, Valverde, and the veterans offered no resistance at all. Man City was simply superior in every aspect. After this match, everything at Real Madrid will come under scrutiny again, including Ancelotti."

Mundo Deportivo is even harsher on the Italian coach. "He refused to reinforce the midfield, despite Man City often dominating in that area. This defeat leaves Ancelotti with a terrible image, as his players couldn't even string two passes together in the first half. This Real Madrid was inferior, and that stems from the system of the Italian coach, who has been stagnant for years."

Image damage is also the focus of the opinion piece in Sport. On the front page, Real Madrid is referred to as a broken toy, shattered by Guardiola's Man City. "It is evident that this historic humiliation causes significant damage to the image of Real Madrid. This team was merely a shadow of the squad that instilled fear in the Champions League years ago."

Marca also uses strong language. "Heavy beating" is prominently displayed on the front page. The match against Man City is described as a nightmare of ninety minutes. "Real Madrid experiences a pitch-black evening and a nightmare of ninety minutes against a superb Man City. Courtois prevented an even more scandalous humiliation."

The heavy defeat in the semi-finals hits even harder because Real Madrid has always been so successful at the highest European level. "The king of comebacks, the king of Europe, the club that never loses in the Champions League, the king of miracles. The team that caused so much pain and suffering to its opponents suffered the worst kind of pain on Wednesday. The match was lost from the very beginning."

Updated: 11:40, 18 May 2023

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