Real Madrid approaches the decisive stretch of the season, the week in which they can qualify for the Champions League quarterfinals and with tomorrow’s matches against Espanyol at the Bernabéu and on Sunday at the Camp Nou, in a classic in the one that is at stake to maintain the few aspirations that remain for the League, in an environment of maximum concern about the design of the squad for the next campaign.
After the return of the World Cup, everything seemed clear about it in Concha Espina. There were no doubts about the continuity of Carlo Ancelotti, who has one year left on his contract. The renewal of Benzema (35 years old) seemed tied and only in the absence of the date of his announcement. In the case of Toni Kroos (33 years old) the club had summoned the German to speak before February, but everything seemed on track.
Renewing Modric or not is what you offered the most uncertainty. The Croatian had already ruled for his continuity for one more season, but in the white club there were doubts about the advisability of continuing to bet on a player who has turned 37. The most general impression was more about recovering Brahim Diaz (23 years old and on loan for the last two to AC Milan) and trying to sign the Englishman Jude Bellingham, 19 years old and one of the emerging promises of European football, now at Borussia Dortmund.
However, the days and weeks have gone by and the situation has been getting darker rather than clearer. Club sources say that Madrid has entered a waiting period waiting to see if the season breaks into success or failure. Success, which would mean winning one of the two remaining major competitions (League or Champions), would lead to the safe continuity of Ancelotti and probably the renewal for one more season of Modric and Kroos, regardless of the signings that can be made.
Apart from these big questions, there are other minor ones that also refer to players from the squad who are out of contract, such as Marco Asensio, Dani Ceballos, Nacho and Mariano. Without counting Eden Hazard, whom Madrid is looking for a way out next summer even if he has signed until 2024.
The question is what will happen if Madrid only wins the European Super Cup and the Club World Cup this season. Even if he can lift the Copa del Rey. Right now at the club they don’t have an answer.
Ancelotti has an offer from the Brazilian Federation to train the “canarinha” from June, but the Italian is not very keen on the job. When he is asked, he smiles and assures that he plans to fulfill his contract in Madrid. Benzema has not spoken in public, but at the club they know that he wants to continue, the same as Kroos and Modric. The Italian coach’s speech is always the same: the legends of Madrid must retire in Madrid. He asks for the renewal of all three.
When Ancelotti was asked today at the Espanyol preview press conference if he thought Benzema was going to renew, he declared: “I am clear about what will happen with Benzema next year, but I am not a magician.” Waiting to receive Liverpool and visit the Camp Nou, Madrid continues to defoliate the daisy on many fronts.
