Ancelotti explains dip: Real Madrid’s defense was shredded by injuries

Carlo Ancelotti offered a blunt post-mortem on a tough campaign, saying Real Madrid’s entire starting defense was wiped out for long stretches. He cited absences for Dani Carvajal and Éder Militão, noted Antonio Rüdiger played through significant pain, and highlighted how academy cover helped steady the group. He also reminded that Federico Valverde had to plug gaps out of position. Supporters split quickly: some called it context, others said it sounded like excuses. A few pointed to underused talents and the narrative around Kylian Mbappé. The takeaway is clear: the manager sees the back line’s health as the hinge of that season.

In a recent media availability in Spain, Carlo Ancelotti reflected on the structural problems Real Madrid faced during a difficult campaign, focusing on the defensive unit’s injuries, the reliance on youth cover, and tactical reshuffles involving senior players.

🗣 Carlo Ancelotti: "What went wrong last season? We lost our entire starting defense. We lost Carvajal and Militão, and Rüdiger played with a serious injury. Luckily, Asencio came up through the youth ranks and did very well. Let's not forget that I often had to play Valverde at

@MadridXtra

Impact Analysis

Ancelotti’s framing is consistent with how elite teams typically unravel when their rest-defense is compromised. When you lose first-choice profiles across the back line, you lose more than bodies. You lose timing in the press, clarity in build-up, and trust in duels across the width of the pitch. Without a stable right side, Madrid’s circulating patterns to progress past the first line became predictable, inviting counters. Militão’s absence in particular removes recovery speed and aerial dominance in defensive transitions. Rüdiger playing through pain preserved leadership but inevitably limited maximum intensity in repeat sprints and shoulder-to-shoulder duels.

The knock-on effect is visible in midfield roles. Valverde covering out of position is a credit to his engine, but you pay a tax in his ball-carrying and second-wave runs from eight. That subtle loss of vertical thrust forces wingers to come deeper, shrinking the space for through balls and isolating the striker. In short, what looks like a defensive issue quickly becomes an attacking efficiency problem.

The youth call-ups matter too. Academy defenders can handle phases, but the hardest task is managing the box under stress. Experience translates to better body orientation, communication on the second ball, and the courage to hold the line. Ancelotti hinting at that internal patchwork aligns with what we saw on the pitch: periods of control, then sudden fragility after turnovers. The manager’s point is less about excuses and more about structure. When the spine isn’t intact, margins get thin, and every game becomes a grind.

Reaction

The online split was immediate. A vocal camp labeled the remarks as excuses, arguing that elite clubs are built precisely to absorb absences. They pointed to Madrid’s superior depth and the fact that other teams also navigate injuries without turning to explanations after the fact. Some went further, claiming nothing truly went wrong and that the season’s disappointments came down to execution in big moments rather than personnel losses.

On the other side, long-time followers praised Ancelotti for finally putting words to a season that felt like firefighting. A common theme: he never hid behind injuries at the time, repeatedly saying the squad was enough, and took the heat when results dipped. That earned respect. There was also a sharp thread about usage. Fans questioned whether Arda Güler should have featured more when legs were heavy, wondering if fresher options could have flipped tight matches. A handful dragged the Mbappé discourse into it, mocking the idea that one superstar could be a scapegoat for systemic defensive absences. Old-school supporters emphasized the basics: if your recovery defender and your senior right back aren’t consistently available, your pressing distances blow up and your clean-sheet probability tanks. The debate ended where it began, split between those who hear context and those who hear excuses.

Social reactions

What’s remarkable is he never used these reasons as excuses during the season. He always said he has enough. And he was killed for that. A true club-man. A true Madridista.

Ecнo oғ тнe Ғırѕт🇿🇦🇵🇸🇧🇫 (@KwenaYaBagopa)

Just say it Big man it's Mbappe 😭I mean we had the same problems in 2023/2024 and we were still better

Mandzukic15 (@KSepeyi95407)

This just shows how crucial a solid backline is! Forcing Valverde to RB & Tchouameni to CB was a domino effect that cost you. 😮‍💨

FutureChain Insights(✸,✸) (@Vito24all)

Prediction

If the back line stays intact, Madrid’s ceiling jumps. Expect a return to the more aggressive first-phase build-up, with Carvajal pinching inside situationally and the right-sided center back stepping to kill counters early. Militão’s pace allows higher rest-defense, which in turn lets the wingers hold advanced positions instead of tracking to the byline. That means more entries into Zone 14 and earlier deliveries to the penalty spot rather than hopeful crosses.

Valverde should reclaim his best version as a high-volume carrier from the right interior channel, which restores the triangle with the right back and winger. In matches where game-state demands control, Rüdiger can stay deeper to manage depth while the opposite full back inverts to create a 3-2 base. Youth integration will stay targeted: cup minutes, late-game protection, and specific matchups at home. Medical and performance staff will likely tighten sprint load monitoring for the veterans and stagger minutes across three competitions to avoid the pile-up that broke rhythm last time. The net effect is a more repeatable game model and fewer chaotic endings. With stability, the conversation shifts from firefighting to refinements: set-piece routines, second-ball traps, and timing of the extra midfielder in big away fixtures.

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Conclusion

Ancelotti’s message is simple: structure first. When the pillars of the back line wobble, everything else shifts an inch out of place, and at this level an inch is a mile. You could call it context or call it cover, but the football supports the point. Madrid asked elite players to moonlight out of position, trusted academy options in pressure zones, and leaned on a center back who kept going through pain. That cocktail keeps you competitive, not dominant.

The value of putting this on record is twofold. Internally, it validates the players who did the hard running while out of role. Externally, it calibrates expectations for what happens when the spine is healthy. If the right back, the recovery center back, and the organizer stay on the pitch, Madrid can restore the higher line, sharpen the press, and give their attackers shorter routes to goal. The manager is not rewriting history. He is marking the lever that matters most. Fix the base, and the rest of the house breathes again.