Ancelotti’s future on the line, Alonso awaits as Real Madrid face Barcelona in Copa del Rey final | OneFootball

As Real Madrid get set to take on Barcelona tonight at Estadio de La Cartuja, it is abundantly clear that it will not be just another match. Far from it.

The Copa del Rey final tonight is set to have a big hand in shaping the immediate future of Real Madrid.

Ancelotti’s future hangs in balance

Indeed, as per MARCA, the decision regarding what will happen with manager Carlo Ancelotti depends on the events tonight at La Cartuja and a subsequent meeting between the coach and Real Madrid president Florentino Perez.

Following the UEFA Champions League elimination against Arsenal, the Copa final will measure the response of Real Madrid, their squad and staff against their greatest rival.

It will serve as the moment to assess the mood and mindset of the group with regard to the upcoming commitments of a season longer than ever.

If things do not go their way, Ancelotti’s time at Real Madrid will come to an end. In fact, he will not even be present at the FIFA Club World Cup, something that both the coach and the club’s executives are fully aware of.

Xabi Alonso waiting on the sidelines

Waiting for his chance. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)

If Ancelotti is removed from the post, it is no secret that Xabi Alonso is seen as the favourite to succeed the Italian as Real Madrid’s next manager.

There is a gentleman’s agreement between Bayer Leverkusen and Alonso for him to be allowed to leave if a club he played for comes calling, acknowledged by the German outfit’s CEO, Fernando Carro. Furthermore, the coach himself is waiting for Real Madrid.

Alonso set March as the deadline to confirm his continuity and is currently planning for the next season, although he has not yet officially confirmed that he will stay at Leverkusen, especially with his Real Madrid dream now seemingly within reach.

Perez and Jose Angel Sanchez, as president and general manager respectively, will make a decision soon, knowing that Ancelotti still wants to continue while Alonso is also waiting to make the jump.

And a lot will depend on how tonight’s Copa del Rey final against Barcelona unfolds at La Cartuja.