Vaping anxiously behind the glass of his private box at Alaves’ Mendizorroza Stadium on Sunday, Carlo Ancelotti looked worried.
It might have been because he was banned and so unable to influence proceedings as his side were hanging on to a 1-0 lead with 10 men after Kylian Mbappe had been sent off. But it could also have been because his hold on the Real Madrid job is loosening.
He knows Xabi Alonso is waiting in the wings and Champions League exit at the hands of Arsenal on Wednesday night, along with a failure to catch Barcelona in LaLiga - they are four points clear with seven matches to play - will mean Madrid change coaches this summer.