Barcelona delivered another bitter blow to their eternal rivals Real Madrid by staging a dramatic 4–3 comeback victory in the 35th round of La Liga, played at the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium. With this result, Barça climbed to the top of the league standings with 82 points—now holding a significant 7-point lead over Real Madrid—with just three matches left in the season. The loss effectively ended Los Blancos’ title hopes.
The fallout from the match was immediate and intense inside the Madrid camp. According to Spanish outlet Defensa Central, Real Madrid’s head coach Carlo Ancelotti was visibly furious after the final whistle. The veteran Italian manager reportedly directed much of his anger toward three players he deemed chiefly responsible for the defeat and the collapse of their league campaign: Lucas Vázquez, Fran García, and Aurélien Tchouaméni.
Ancelotti had placed high expectations on this trio to show leadership and elevate their performances at this crucial stage of the season. Instead, he was left bitterly disappointed by what he saw as unconvincing and error-prone displays. In private talks with club officials, Ancelotti is believed to have recommended offloading all three players during the summer transfer window, insisting that keeping them would endanger the vision and stability of the team’s next manager.
The frustration didn’t stop there. Young Turkish midfielder Arda Güler, who has been campaigning for more playing time, also felt Ancelotti’s wrath. The coach is said to have confronted the youngster directly, allegedly exclaiming:
“You keep asking to start, and when I give you the chance, you become the worst player on the pitch… you’re weak!”
In contrast to the criticism, Kylian Mbappé, who joined Real Madrid amid massive expectations, was the only player Ancelotti publicly praised. After the match, the coach approached him and offered consolation, reportedly saying:
“If the others had played with your fire and determination, the outcome would’ve been different. You’ll win the Ballon d’Or in the coming years.”
This match—and Ancelotti’s fiery response—has deepened the crisis within Real Madrid as the club prepares for a turbulent summer of changes, with player exits, internal reviews, and potentially a new era looming.
