Real Madrid’s charismatic manager, Carlo Ancelotti, has tipped his hat to Barcelona for their mesmerizing dance through La Liga this season, acknowledging that their title was indeed well deserved. With a nod to Hansi Flick’s orchestrated symphony, Ancelotti lauded Barcelona’s relentless consistency and their eye-catching style of play. As the anticipation builds for Real’s upcoming league duel with , Ancelotti took a moment to reflect on Barcelona’s dominance that has painted this season in blue and red hues.
Barcelona swept up the La Liga crown, along with the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup, leaving with only the Club World Cup as a consolation prize after their Champions League dreams were dashed.
“This is the beautiful unpredictability of football; sometimes you just can’t extract the best from everyone,” Ancelotti mused. “Barcelona have been exceptional – more consistent in the league and playing such beautiful football. Hats off to them, they deserved this victory. But mark my words, next year will be a whole new ball game.”
Throughout the season, Barca outshone Real in all four head-to-head matchups and racked up a staggering 97 goals in 36 league matches—leaving their city rivals trailing by 23 goals.
Reflecting on Real Madrid’s rollercoaster of a campaign, Ancelotti voiced his frustrations about the injury curse that haunted his squad. “These players have an indomitable spirit, believing even when the odds were stacked against us. I can’t find it in me to criticize them, for they’ve brought me so much joy,” he shared warmly. “The sheer volume and significance of injuries this season have felt like punches to the gut.”
As he prepares to bid farewell to Real Madrid at the season’s end, before embarking on a new chapter with Brazil’s national team, Ancelotti admitted with a tinge of wistfulness that his goodbye tour could have been sweeter if the title race had stretched to the final whistle.
“The Sevilla ground has always been a formidable arena for us. Our mission now is to bring the curtain down on this season with a victory,” he expressed with resolve. “I had imagined a different kind of send-off, battling for the league until the last gasp. That hasn’t transpired, but I’m savoring every moment remaining. And then, a new quest awaits me.”
