Carlo Ancelotti job under fire at Real Madrid

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By Martin Graham | 20th Feb 2022

The recurring reports about Carlo Ancelotti’s job being under fire have surfaced again after Real Madrid lost to Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League last-16 clash.

A number of Spanish news outlets led by Diario Sport have been reporting since Tuesday that Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is planning to fire the Italian by the end of the season.

Real Madrid have had a string of poor results in the past few games. The final straw happened to be at the Parc De Princes where Perez watched PSG run circles around his team as they lost by a flattering lone goal scored by transfer target Kylian Mbappe.

Before the match, PSG chairman Nasser Al Khelaifi talked down on Madrid after declining a private dinner invite with Perez. A win could have settled Perez down a little but Ancelotti oversaw a drab Madrid performance leading to Perez reportedly deciding to axe the Italian for the second time after the season ends.

Ancelotti aware of Perez’s displeasure over PSG loss

The Italian, who is in his second spell at the club and currently on track to win the LaLiga title which eluded him in his first stint, admitted that he is aware that Perez is unhappy at the loss.

“I have spoken with the president, with everyone in the club, and they are hurt just like we are,” he said in his post-match interview.

“The first critic is myself and I take responsibility. You have to understand it and learn from it. Some [criticisms] are fair and others are nonsense,” he added.

Ancelotti replaced Zinedine Zidane who resigned following a dry season that did not result in any silverware. The former AC Milan manager has already won a trophy – the Supercopa De Espana, and is currently sitting at the top of the LaLiga table.

However, the issues began when Real Madrid was eliminated from Copa del Rey and then performed poorly in the subsequent games to allow second-placed Sevilla close the gap at the top of the La Liga table to just four points.

A 1-0 deficit is easier to overturn when Los Blancos host PSG in a few weeks but the reports claim that any slip up in that tournament could lead to drastic actions from Perez.

Real Madrid looking to sign Trent Alexander-Arnold

Elsewhere, Real Madrid are reportedly looking to sign Liverpool right back Trent Alexander-Arnold in the summer.

Spanish outlet Defensa Central reports that Los Blancos have made him a target for their summer business but that a deal for the English international is unlikely as Liverpool are uninterested in letting him go for any price.

Madrid are looking to replace Dani Carvajal whose performances have dropped drastically due to his constant battles with injuries. His understudy at the club, Lucas Vazquez, is not a natural right back which means that Madrid are in desperate need for one.

Shaktar Donetsk right back Dodo, Red Bull Leipzig’s Nordi Mukiele, Chelsea’s Reece James, and Ajax Amsterdam’s Noussair Mazraoui.

It is also claimed that Alexander-Arnold is not opposed to the idea but Liverpool will put up several stumbling blocks to prevent the 23-year-old from leaving Anfield in the summer.