Real Madrid News
Ancelotti – Perez set for face-to-face meeting after Real Madrid lose to Liverpool
Real Madrid’s UEFA Champions League campaign so far this season has been nothing short of a disaster.
Three defeats in five matches – against Lille, AC Milan, and most recently Liverpool means that a direct pathway to the Round of 16, via a Top 8 finish in the table is pretty much out of the question.
In fact, Real Madrid are currently stationed in the 24th position – the final spot to secure a place in the playoffs.
Crisis meeting between Ancelotti and Perez
As such, MARCA reports that Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti is set to meet club president Florentino Perez face-to-face this week before their La Liga clash against Getafe.
Meetings like this are normal after a bad moment for the team and it will be held between the manager and the president before Sunday’s clash against Getafe.
During the meeting, both parties are expected to give an account of the team’s situation from their perspective while it could also shed light on the amount of confidence that the hierarchy has on the Italian tactician.
Ancelotti, for his part, feels strong and is eager to turn the situation around, despite being aware of how difficult the task is. He continues to believe in the players that are at his disposal and is of the feeling that the group has responded positively since the loss to Milan.
What does the board think?
As for the Real Madrid hierarchy, the senior officials are saddened to see the team in the current predicament, but they are also beginning to realise that the homework that should have been done in the summer was not done in terms of strengthening the squad.
With so many injuries, the Real Madrid squad has been left short on players and in some positions there is a clear lack of quality.
While there are concerns growing within the team about Antonio Pintus’ methods, the club points at the calendar and the lack of rest for the number of injuries, while also looking at other plausible explanations.
One of the biggest positives for Real Madrid from the last season was the breakthrough of young midfielder Thiago Pitarch.
The 19-year-old La Fabrica prospect had been in the first-team dynamics since pre-season under Xabi Alonso, but finally got his senior debut under Alvaro Arbeloa at the turn of the year.
From that moment on, Pitarch did not look back at all, gaining prominence in the team and even starting important matches ahead of established players like Eduardo Camavinga and Dani Ceballos.
However, things have not gone as per plans for the teenager this season as he has yet to play a single minute of first-team football.
January loan no longer ruled out
As such, Diario AS now reports that Pitarch would consider leaving Real Madrid on loan during the January transfer window if his situation does not improve.
The teenage midfielder suffered an injury in pre-season which kept him sidelined for a few weeks, denying him an opportunity to start the season under Jose Mourinho.
By the time he returned, the Portuguese tactician had already identified his preferred hierarchy in midfield, with the likes of Federico Valverde, Bernardo Silva, Aurelien Tchouameni and Camavinga firmly ahead in the pecking order.
A stark difference from his debut season
In his debut season, Pitarch ended with 16 first-team appearances for Real Madrid with two assists to his name.
In contrast, this term, the academy graduate has been called up to the matchday squad for five games by Mourinho this term, but has yet to play a single minute of football.
Given the situation, he used the international break to jump down to Castilla and play close to 250 minutes across three games, during which he also registered an assist.
The situation is far from ideal for a young talent who needs regular minutes to continue his development and build on his impressive breakthrough campaign.
As such, the possibility of a departure on loan in January could be considered, after Pitarch turned down offers in the summer to stay at Real Madrid.
A lot will depend on how things evolve in the next couple of months, but a temporary exit cannot be ruled out.
