The season had offered Real Madrid no shortage of low points, but the Copa del Rey final provided a slender opportunity for redemption. Against their eternal rivals, Barcelona, however, it felt like facing an unsolvable puzzle. To compound the challenge, Kylian Mbappé was left on the bench, with Dani Ceballos fortifying midfield, and Lucas Vázquez donning the captain's armband.
The first half offered little between the two teams—until Barcelona struck. Lamine Yamal’s deft pass found Pedri, who unleashed a stunning strike into the top corner. Madrid’s task grew heavier. Though Real fought back with Vinícius Júnior and Mbappé missing key chances, it was Mbappé’s sublime free-kick and Aurélien Tchouaméni’s header that turned the match on its head. Yet, Barcelona refused to bow, equalizing through Ferran Torres and forcing extra time.
The fatal blow came deep into extra time: a careless pass was punished by Jules Koundé, whose precise finish secured Barcelona’s victory. Another trophy slipped from Real Madrid's grasp—and another wound deepened.
Arsenal’s Rout: A European Exit that Exposed Madrid’s Faultlines
Madrid's Champions League elimination at the hands of Arsenal—a 5-1 aggregate thrashing—unleashed predictable outrage across Spain. Marca screamed, "Humiliated"; Diario AS mourned, "It was just a dream." No one was spared: the players, coach Carlo Ancelotti, or even president Florentino Pérez.
Ancelotti, once a figure of serenity, faced funereal press conferences. Players like Mbappé and Vinícius were jeered. Real Madrid’s European identity, forged over decades, lay fractured.
A Mirage in La Liga: Success Amidst Chaos
Amid the ruins, Madrid still hovered within reach of a domestic double—LaLiga and the Copa del Rey. A strange paradox: a faltering, inconsistent team on the cusp of tangible success. How much of it was grit, and how much of it was the mediocrity of their competition?
Madrid had lost 11 matches across all competitions, suffered humiliations at the hands of Barcelona and fallen short against Milan, Liverpool, Espanyol, and Valencia. Their famed front four—Mbappé, Vinícius, Jude Bellingham, and Rodrygo—often operated like strangers, disconnected and disjointed.
The Collective Collapse: Ancelotti’s Self-Inflicted Wounds
Last season, Ancelotti coined "collective commitment" as Madrid’s watchword. This season, he lamented the loss of "collective attitude." The team had splintered into individuals, stars who dazzled in isolation but could not coalesce into a unit.
Ancelotti’s binary categorization—"those who run and those who make the difference"—proved prophetic. Against Arsenal, Madrid covered dramatically less ground than their English counterparts. Bellingham, cutting a frustrated figure, spoke candidly: it wasn't merely about distance run, but about organization, about knowing where and when to run.
Madrid’s defensive numbers starkly highlighted the decay: from 0.68 goals conceded per game in 2023-24 to 0.97 in 2024-25; from 46.5 ball recoveries per match to just 40.6. A defensive rot had set in, masked only by sporadic attacking brilliance.
Star Power or System Failure?
Mbappé and Vinícius, statistical juggernauts in attack, also became symbolic of Madrid's dysfunction: two of the most stationary players off the ball in LaLiga. Could a team afford to accommodate not one, but two forwards unwilling to run?
The dependence on individual moments—crosses into a box bereft of a target man like Joselu—became Madrid’s desperate strategy. Courtois lamented the lack of a physical striker; the Bernabéu groaned under the weight of dashed hopes.
Squad Building: Between Nostalgia and Naïveté
The loss of veterans like Nacho and Joselu deprived Madrid of leadership and grit. Kroos’ retirement left a vacuum in midfield that even the industrious Ceballos could only partially fill. Injuries to Éder Militão and Dani Carvajal further destabilized the team.
Madrid's transfer policy—prioritizing free transfers like Mbappé and targeting youth such as Dean Huijsen—showed ambition but also gaps. Signing Trent Alexander-Arnold would address a glaring need at right-back, but would it be enough to fix a broken system?
Ancelotti’s Last Dance?
Ancelotti’s tactical stubbornness—crowbarring four attacking stars into a team designed for a 4-4-2 defensive shape—exposed systemic contradictions. His unwillingness or inability to bench a superstar for the sake of balance may yet seal his fate.
The looming FIFA Club World Cup complicates any potential transition. Would Madrid risk sacking Ancelotti before the tournament and appointing an interim manager like Santi Solari or Raúl González? Or would they thrust Xabi Alonso into an unforgiving baptism of fire?
Ancelotti insists there is no internal conflict, that "we're all in the same boat." Yet the silence over his future speaks louder than his words.
Real Madrid at a Crossroads
Real Madrid stands at a critical juncture: a club oscillating between crisis and triumph, brilliance and chaos. Winning LaLiga or the Copa del Rey would gild the season, but it would not mask the deeper issues.
The soul-searching cannot be deferred. Stars alone will not save Madrid. Nor will nostalgia. Only a return to collective spirit, balanced squad-building, and bold coaching decisions will revive the Real Madrid that Europe once feared.
The summer of 2025 promises change. Whether it will be evolution or revolution remains the defining question.
Thank You
Faisal Caesar
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