Six months ago, everything was in place for Carlo Ancelotti to leave Real Madrid in the summer of 2024. The only manager to win each of Europe's 'Big Five' leagues and the owner of four Champions League winner's medals was, at 64, seemingly coming to the end at Santiago Bernabeu. He had just a year left on his contract in the Spanish capital, and the president of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), Ednaldo Rodrigues, was already insisting that the legendary Italian would take charge of the Selecao, beginning with the upcoming Copa America.
Madrid, it seemed, were on the downturn. Karim Benzema had left suddenly for Saudi Arabia, Kylian Mbappe was engaged in a battle with Paris Saint-Germain over his future, and both Toni Kroos and Luka Modric were edging towards the end of their illustrious careers. What remained was a cluster of unbelievably talented yet, at times, unrefined 20-24 year olds. Ancelotti would have been forgiven for leaving the rebuild to someone else.
But in football, nothing every truly goes to plan. In as early as August, Ancelotti reaffirmed his commitment to the Madrid job, and asserted that he would wait "until the last day" for the club to offer him an extension. Meanwhile, in the background, he went to work, designing a system to get the best out of a changing squad.
By the time December rolled around, he had agreed to a new three-year contract, and now Los Blancos are on a run during which they haven't lost since September. They won their first silverware of the season by beating their arch-rivals Barcelona in the Spanish Supercopa, and with the Champions League knockout stage soon to start, they simply cannot be counted out to challenge for a 15th European Cup, either.
Instead of bolting, Ancelotti has reinvented Madrid, and will now oversee the changing of the guard and the start of a potentially glorious new era at the Bernabeu. On current evidence, there is no one better for the job.
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