Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti may be feeling a little colder than the rest of the Spanish capital as winter approaches.
Los Blancos are not playing as many expected and president Florentino Perez has pinned Ancelotti as the main culprit.
According to a detailed report from Alfredo Matilla in Relevo, a series of frustrations are beginning to irritate the Real Madrid boss. Perez demands urgent and immediate improvement and, without saying it to Ancelotti's face, has ensured that the means by which Ancelotti should go about it reach the Italian through other channels.
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Perez doesn't understand why Real Madrid are playing so badly, nor the attitude with which they play. The attitude in the defeat to Lille was not up to par in his eyes, and he was furious to learn that Dortmund had run 11km more than Los Blancos in their Champions League match. During his visits to the locker room, he finds it increasingly difficult to hide his frustrations.
The team boss believes that with Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo Goes, Ancelotti has more than enough resources to play better football than him. In Perez's eyes, Rodrygo does not need to be the first change and sacrifice in Ancelotti's lineups, because he believes that the four players can play together. Ancelotti privately admitted to Perez that he had not yet found the perfect formula to solve their problems.
This is one of several areas causing concern in the Real Madrid directors' box. The ease with which opponents break down their defense, Bellingham's performance or the lack of playing time for Endrick Felipe and Arda Guler. The Santiago Bernabeu hierarchy does not understand, given the performances they have shown, why they play so little and believes that competition should push the starters.
Most frustrating of all is the central midfield area. Aurélien Tchouameni is no longer convincing the club's management outside of Ancelotti, and the report says it should come as no surprise that the Frenchman is starting to spend a lot of time on the bench. They also don't think Luka Modric is the answer, and they think his inclusion should be intermittent in big games, while Bellingham and Eduardo Camavinga should return to more central areas, where they are best.
Perez prefers Camavinga, but he struggles to own the center of the field and still makes basic errors. The president, however, “hates” Camavinga being used as a left-back, believing it is a waste of his talent. Meanwhile, those around Perez tell him that Tchouameni's disappointing form is part of the tactical system, not his abilities.
The club's leaders believe this is Real Madrid's best team in its history, and as such the performances so far are inexcusable. The Italian manager is on a mission to ensure that the club improves, with Rodrygo, Bellingham, Mbappé and Vinicius.
This report is certainly a reminder that Ancelotti not only has to deal with the footballing problems that come his way, but also the pressure that comes from above. If there's one thing Ancelotti has specialized in, it's handling the ups and downs of Real Madrid well, and he's been through tough times before. The demands from above, if respected, however, leave little room for maneuver.
