'It's over': Spanish press react to Real Madrid's humbling by Arsenal in Champions League | OneFootball

Media pull no punches as Los Blancos are brushed aside in the quarter-finals after back-to-back defeats

End of an era? Real Madrid could well change managers after their defeat by Arsenal in the Champions League

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The Spanish press made for sobering reading for Real Madrid fans on Thursday morning after their high-profile Champions League exit at the hands of Arsenal.

The holders and record 15-time winners have not reached the semi-finals of Europe’s elite club competition for the first time since 2020 after being shockingly brushed aside 5-1 on aggregate in the last eight.

Declan Rice’s stunning free-kick brace ensured Los Blancos were beaten 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium in last week’s first-leg tie, while their hopes of another famous 'remontada' were promptly given short shrift by Arsenal, who beat them again 2-1 at the Bernabeu on Wednesday night thanks to goals from Bukayo Saka - who also missed a penalty - and Gabriel Martinelli in a match in which Kylian Mbappe went off injured.

While the Gunners now advance to face Paris Saint-Germain for a place in the final in Munich on May 31, Real Madrid are left to contemplate a rare quarter-final exit that could well now spell the end of manager Carlo Ancelotti’s second reign in charge, with reports that he could take over the Brazilian national team amid expectations that his job will be taken by Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso.

But Madrid must quickly shrug off their European disappointment with a huge Copa del Rey final showdown with fierce rivals Barcelona looming large in Seville on April 26. Another massive Clasico clash also awaits in Catalonia next month, with Ancelotti’s side currently sitting second and four points adrift of leaders Barca - who are in the Champions League semi-finals - in the LaLiga title race with only seven games left to play this season.

Madrid have already won the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Intercontinental Cup so far this season, though they were hammered by Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final in Saudi Arabia in January. Last season, they won all of the Champions League, LaLiga and the Spanish Super Cup under Ancelotti.

The Spanish media pulled no punches after another hugely disappointing performance against Arsenal, with Madrid-based daily newspaper Marca’s picture of Mikel Arteta waving in front of Real counterpart Ancelotti accompanied by the cutting headline: “Without playing well, there are no miracles.”

Fellow Madrid sports daily Diario AS, alongside a photo of a dejected Mbappe and Jude Bellingham, carried the headline: “It was just a dream.”

“No Champions League, no Mbappe,” was the front-page headline of Barcelona-based publication Sport, who went with a picture of Rice looking down at Mbappe clutching his injured ankle.

Another publication from Catalonia, Mundo Deportivo, had a play on the Spanish for “it’s over”, with “se acabo” becoming “Sakabo” alongside a picture of Arsenal star Saka scoring the first goal of the night at the Bernabeu past Thibaut Courtois.