"There is no future for a bad team." Real's predicted downfall, which was 8.5km less than Arsenal

Apr 17, 2025

'There is no future for a bad team.' Real's predicted downfall, which was 8.5km less than Arsenal



'There is no future for a bad team.' Real's predicted downfall, which was 8.5km less than Arsenal
There's no reasonable elimination.

One of the reasons why Real Madrid was eliminated from the quarterfinals of the European Champions League (UCL) for the first time in 21 years is its lack of activity.

According to the UEFA activity distance data reported by the Spanish daily 「Marca」, Real ran a total of 107.5 kilometers in the second round of the 2024-2025 UCL quarterfinals against Arsenal at Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid, Spain, on the 17th (Korea time). He is 8.5 kilometers shorter than Arsenal, who ran 116 kilometers.




In the first leg of the quarterfinals, Real ran 113.9 kilometers, 12.7 kilometers less than Arsenal. In other words, one player with a lot of activity played less, and this lack of activity resulted in a disaster. Real lost 0-3 after two free kicks from Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice.

'There is no future for a bad team.' Real's predicted downfall, which was 8.5km less than Arsenal
In the second game, the content of the game was as tight as the difference in the narrowed range of activities, but they lost 1-2 when they dedicated the winning goal to Gabriel Martinelli in the third minute of extra time in the second half. Real failed to advance to the Champions semi-finals in five years with a combined score of 1-5 in the first and second games. It is the first time in 21 years that defending champion Real lost in the UCL quarterfinals since 2004.

Only once has Real played more in the UCL than its opponents this season. At the match against Atalanta in the group stage, he ran 115.6 kilometers, 0.7 kilometers more than his opponent. In addition, he lost in succession against Lille, Milan, Liverpool, Atletico Madrid and Arsenal, breaking the record for the most losses (6) by a club in a single season.




Real, which had to overturn the three-goal gap, had the second-lowest amount of activity among the eight teams in the second round of the quarterfinals. Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa ran 114.4km and 119.6km, Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona 123.4km and 117.1km, respectively, and Inter Milan and Bayern Munich 117.8km and 113.8km, respectively. Inter Milan had the least activity among the eight teams by a narrow margin, but they beat Munich by a combined 4-3 to reach the semifinals with high concentration.

'There is no future for a bad team.' Real's predicted downfall, which was 8.5km less than Arsenal
It is predicted that the defeat could bring about the end of the Ancelotti era.

Spanish journalist Guillaume Balage told the BBC"Ancelotti's role is to maintain harmony in the locker room and to instill faith in Real that they can win any game. Previously, that belief worked"However, this season, such an approach has revealed its limitations. Real played less than their opponents in big games and failed to make good use of backup players such as Arda Güller, Brahim Díaz and even Endrick. This has put more pressure on key players, who now look physically and mentally exhausted." Ancelotti, who was reappointed as Real's head coach in 2021, is under contract until 2026.




The semifinals of this tournament have been narrowed down to a match between Arsenal (England), Paris Saint-Germain (France), FC Barcelona (Spain) and Inter Milan (Italy). Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain are aiming to win for the first time, while Inter Milan will try to win for the fourth time in 15 years since 2010. Barcelona will go on its sixth trophy hunt since its last win in 2015 under Lionel Messi.



This article was translated by Naver AI translator.