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Kylian Mbappe’s much-anticipated move to Real Madrid was supposed to elevate the club’s European dominance — instead, it has coincided with a humbling Champions League exit and raised serious doubts over Carlo Ancelotti’s future as manager.
Madrid’s European campaign came to a screeching halt on Wednesday night after a ruthless Arsenal side dispatched the defending champions with a commanding 5-1 aggregate victory. A 2-1 defeat at the Santiago Bernabeu sealed their quarter-final exit and left Ancelotti facing growing uncertainty over his role.
The Gunners now progress to face Paris Saint-Germain — Mbappe’s former club — in the semi-finals. Ironically, the French star left PSG in search of Champions League glory in Madrid, only to watch his former team thrive in his absence.
Mbappe was forced off late in the second leg with an ankle injury, compounding a frustrating night for both player and club. Although the 25-year-old has scored 33 goals this season, his integration into Ancelotti’s side has been far from seamless. Real Madrid have struggled to find a tactical balance that accommodates Mbappe and Vinicius Junior, with both players preferring to operate on the left wing.
This defeat marks only the third time in the past 12 seasons that Madrid have failed to reach the Champions League semi-finals — a sharp contrast to the success of last season, when they won both La Liga and the Champions League.
Ancelotti’s attempts to mould a coherent attacking unit involving Mbappe, Vinicius, Jude Bellingham, and Rodrygo have faltered. Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois admitted that Madrid have relied too heavily on individual talent rather than collective cohesion. “We have to make more collective moves rather than individual ones,” he noted following the defeat.
Mbappe has largely been used in a central role by Ancelotti, despite his natural inclination to drift left. Without a traditional number nine like Joselu, who left for Qatar last summer, Madrid resorted to launching crosses into the box against Arsenal — but had no suitable target man to meet them. “We put in a lot of crosses but this year we don’t have a Joselu,” said Courtois. “A born centre-forward up there.”
Ancelotti’s frustrations have been clear throughout the campaign. He has openly criticised the team’s lack of defensive discipline and, in one notable incident, threatened to substitute Vinicius during a Copa del Rey clash due to a lack of effort. While the Brazilian responded positively, it highlighted the Italian coach’s growing struggle to maintain standards.
The 65-year-old has also spoken candidly about his uncertain future. “It could be that the club decide to change (coach), it could be this year — or the next when my contract expires, there’s no problem,” Ancelotti admitted on Wednesday. With names like Jurgen Klopp and Xabi Alonso linked to the role, a managerial change seems increasingly likely.
Madrid’s 12 defeats this season — compared to just two last term — reflect a worrying decline. The departure of Toni Kroos last summer has left the midfield lacking the control and composure that once defined it, and the squad has yet to fully recover.
Despite the Champions League disappointment, Madrid are still in contention for silverware. They trail Barcelona by four points in La Liga, with a potentially decisive El Clasico still to come in May. They also face Barça in the Copa del Rey final on April 26 and will compete in the Club World Cup this summer — though Ancelotti may not be on the touchline by then.
For Mbappe, the pressure to end the season with silverware remains high. For Ancelotti, time is quickly running out to rescue his legacy at the Bernabeu.
