‘Very Complicated’—Carlo Ancelotti’s Assistant Explains What Went Wrong at Real Madrid | OneFootball

Davide Ancelotti, assistant and son to former Real Madrid coach Carlo, provided a clear-headed summary of how the Spanish and European champions failed to defend either crown during the 2024–25 campaign.

The Ancelottis oversaw a triumphant 2023–24 campaign, lifting La Liga and the Champions League in a rare double, even for Real Madrid. Only twice before had this feat ever been pulled off in the Spanish capital.

However, despite adding Kylian Mbappé over the summer, Madrid crashed out of the Champions League quarterfinals and finished a distant second in La Liga to Barcelona, who also beat their arch rivals in two other domestic finals.

“It was a very complicated season,” Davide Ancelotti reflected during a wide-ranging interview with MARCA. The Italian assistant put these complications down to “unexpected problems due to injuries.”

Dani Carvajal and Éder Militão both tore their ACLs before winter set in, while David Alaba spent much of the campaign trying to recover from his own serious knee injury. The list of players who suffered some fitness issues is far shorter than the few players that avoided the treatment room.

“Dani’s injury was tough,” Ancelotti admitted. “He’s a key player, beyond the matches, due to his day-to-day competitiveness, in training. Militão’s injury also left us with fewer players in defense.

“And then, as my father said during the season, we didn’t have the consistency that would have allowed us to be at the top with Barcelona, ​​who performed very well and have their merits.”

Toni Kroos’s final game for Real Madrid was a triumphant Champions League final. / IMAGO/Pro Sports Images

While Mbappé arrived, the 2024 summer window saw the retirement of Toni Kroos, an absence which Ancelotti billed as a “huge” factor. “The void Kroos left was as big as the one Sergio Ramos, Cristiano [Ronaldo], or Casemiro left in their time,” Ancelotti Jr. insisted.

“Toni is a unique player in the history of Real Madrid and in the history of football. I would say he’s a very difficult player to find. Players like him or [Luka] Modrić help a lot because they set an example and send messages that are very difficult for the coaching staff to convey.

“Toni’s departure was a huge loss, but everyone knew he was leaving, and in his place has come the best player in the world in terms of talent. There’s no hard feelings about last season, really. For me, this has been a movie, a dream.”

Many onlookers pointed to the struggles of integrating Mbappé last season. The prolific Frenchman enjoyed a record-breaking debut campaign, but his impact on other players, such as Vinicius Junior or Jude Bellingham, may not have been so positive. Ancelotti wouldn’t have a bad word about Mbappé.

“Managing talented players has never been a problem,” he shrugged. “My father has always handled these types of situations well. Mbappé is a very kind person, very easy to get along with, and very easy to coach. So, if you ask me, I’d say no, that we haven’t had any problems on a management level.”