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6 hours ago
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VALDEBEBAS, SPAIN — Carlo Ancelotti hasn't yet officially left Real Madrid to join Brazil, and the Italian already seems to have beef with his new employers.
Following the announcement of his impending departure from the Spanish club to take over the Brazil national team, which will happen at the end of the La Liga season, Ancelotti was forced to field repeated questioning about the nature of his transition in a press conference the following day.
He claimed he was "muy feliz" — very happy — but it was clear he was not happy to be in that room at the Real Madrid City training ground in Valdebebas.
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Ancelotti came into the news conference prepared to respond to questions about his change in employment, insisting that he had "no regrets" over both his Real Madrid tenure and impending departure. He claimed he was "happy" for his time at Madrid and "joyful" that Los Blancos had the opportunity to change managers, which he said was necessary to the life of every club at some point.
The reporters weren't buying it. First, he was asked whether it was appropriate to leave after a down season, especially one where injuries played a big role in their struggles.
"If I arrived here and they told me I was going to win 11 titles with this team in four years, I'd have signed for that with blood," Ancelotti pushed back. "This season hasn't gone well for many reasons, eh? No, but the general assessment of my tenure is that it has been an unforgettable time."
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At one point, a journalist from Cadena Ser asked why there had been a rush to make the announcement, especially from Brazil, when he still had three matches to play as Real Madrid boss. Ancelotti was not thrilled with the question and gave it a curt response, deflecting the point while claiming Madrid wanted to give their fans answers now.
"Real Madrid has a different perspective," Ancelotti said. "Real Madrid, in the eyes of the fans, would like it to be known now."
After 10 minutes of answering nonstop questioning rephrased, Ancelotti began to get agitated. When a reporter pressed him on his claim of being happy, saying, "I don't see you as very happy," that set the Italian off.
"Yes, yes, I am very happy. How can I show you? I'm very happy," he said.
It was at this point that he appeared to question the timing of Brazil's announcement. "I wonder if, if I didn't have the press conference today, it would be a fantastic day. I have to explain things I don't want to explain. Why?" His suggestion of a reporter-less day drew laughter from the room, but a twinge of awkward energy hung in the air.
"I have the Real Madrid shirt until the 25th," Ancelotti continued, showing clear frustration. He began tugging on the Madrid badge on his chest. "So, I don't want anyone to ask me about other things because I respect this shirt a lot. I want to respect it until the last day. I'm very happy about everything that's happening around me. I wanted to win La Liga, yes, I wanted to win the Champions League, but I'm very happy about what's happening around me."
That did the trick, as the questioning finally subsided and the reporters changed topics to Rodrygo, who was injured in training just prior to the press conference.
After six years at Real Madrid, it was clear change was needed. Ancelotti's resume makes him one of the greatest managers in the history of the game, but his failures to bring the best out of the squad following Kylian Mbappe's arrival, causing Vinicius Jr, Jude Bellingham, and Rodrygo's performances to suffer, made it clear that someone else would be better suited to the job.
Ancelotti may insist he was happy in his departure, but it was evident that maybe this wasn't entirely his decision. Now, he must make sure not to use his future employers as a punching bag too much before their partnership even begins.
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