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Perez in tears and Vazquez's goodbye – Three moments you might have missed from Real Madrid's farewell night

Perez in tears and Vazquez's goodbye – Three moments you might have missed from Real Madrid's farewell night

Yahoo25-05-2025

Perez in tears and Vazquez's goodbye – Three moments you might have missed from Real Madrid's farewell night
Last night's clash against Real Sociedad was not just another football match, as it was a night filled with emotion, goodbyes, and moments that Real Madrid fans will remember forever.
The Santiago Bernabeu, packed to the rafters, became a stage for one final tribute to two club legends: Carlo Ancelotti and Luka Modric.
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While many fans had long suspected this day was coming, it did not make it any easier to accept. What made the night even more touching was the fact that both men would have stayed longer if the choice had been in their hands.
While most of the attention was on Modric and Ancelotti, several powerful moments unfolded behind the scenes. Some of them may have gone unnoticed, but for the loyal fans at the Bernabéu, these quiet scenes hit just as hard.
Vazquez and Vallejo share their quiet goodbyes
Among the many emotional scenes at the stadium, two players also bid farewell — Lucas Vazquez and Jesus Vallejo. Their departures might not have been headline material, but for the fans and teammates, they mattered deeply.
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Vazquez left the field in the 75th minute, fighting back tears as he hugged each of his teammates. He received a standing ovation from the crowd, who understood this was a goodbye.
Though he was not the centre of attention, his years of loyal service to the club did not go unnoticed.
Vallejo, meanwhile, got a brief moment on the pitch. Ancelotti made sure he came off the bench so that he, too, could receive a warm round of applause from the supporters.
Ancelotti's emotional speech moves the stadium to tears
After the match, the spotlight returned to Ancelotti, who addressed the fans with a heartfelt speech that brought many, including himself, to tears.
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Two large tifos hung in the stands — one reading 'Thank you, legend' (addressed to Modric) and another saying 'Thank you, Carletto.'
The crowd chanted the names of those departing, turning the night into a celebration of everything they had given to the club.
Standing on the pitch at the Santiago Bernabeu, the Italian coach struggled to find the right words, clearly overwhelmed by the moment.
'Good afternoon. Don't think it's so easy to speak today,' he said, visibly moved. 'It's been an honour, a pleasure to coach this club, this team.
'I want to thank my dear president, Florentino Pérez. It's been fantastic. Thank you for these moments.'
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At one point, Real Madrid were showing Ancelotti's best moments on the bog screen and emotions ran high, so much so that the Mister could not hold back his tears.
Perez reduced to tears
As he finished, the camera turned to the VIP box and there was Florentino Perez, wiping away tears.
It is rare to see the Real Madrid president show such emotion, but this was no ordinary night. It was a farewell to two figures who helped define an era.
This final tribute proved one thing that while trophies and titles are celebrated, it is the people behind them who leave the deepest marks.
Ancelotti and Modric might be stepping away from the Bernabeu spotlight, but their legacy will stay in Madrid forever.

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Mauricio Pochettino: Blame me for USMNT hammering by Switzerland
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Mauricio Pochettino: Blame me for USMNT hammering by Switzerland

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2026 World Cup: Who has qualified and who can make it?

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2026 World Cup: Who has qualified and who can make it?

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Each team will play its opponents in round-robin home-and-away matches. The three group winners advance to the World Cup and the two best group runners-up move to the playoffs. _____ CONMEBOL (South America) How many World Cup teams can qualify?6 automatically, 1 enters the playoffsWho is in?Argentina, Brazil What's on tap: It's shaping up to be a fairly cut-and-dry campaign in this 10-team region as both Argentina and Brazil are now into the World Cup. The simplest way for Ecuador to assure its place is to beat or draw Peru, after Venezuela lost to Uruguay on Tuesday. Colombia still needs more results to qualify after drawing with Argentina. Bolivia and Peru still have a small window but Chile are officially eliminated. Here's how the current table stands. Full standings can be found here. _____ OFC (Oceania) How many World Cup teams have qualified?1 automatically, 1 enters the playoffsWho is in?New Zealand, New Caledonia (playoff team)What's on tap:The 11-team qualifying tournament from this region, consisting of countries and territories in the South Pacific, concluded in March. One team emerged from Round 1, joining the seven top-ranked teams of the region. Those eight teams were split into two groups for Round 2, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the semifinals. Semifinals, March 21New Caledonia 3, Tahiti 0New Zealand 7, Fiji 0Final, March 24New Zealand 3, New Caledonia 0 New Zealand will head to the World Cup, while New Caledonia will be one of the six teams in the intercontinental playoff. Full standings can be found here. _____UEFA (Europe) How many World Cup teams can qualify?16 (12 automatically, 4 through a UEFA-only playoff)Who is in?None qualified yetWhat's on tap:There are 54 (excluding Russia) teams who began the qualifying process in March. Some teams have already begun to play (England, Norway, Poland) while the teams who were ousted in the Nations League quarterfinals (including Croatia, Italy, the Netherlands) will only begin this week. The four Nations Leagues semifinalists – France, Germany, Spain, Portugal – won't enter the fold until September. In all, there are 12 groups of either four or five teams each. The winner of each group will clinch World Cup spots. The 12 runners-up move to a subsequent playoff round, added by the four best-ranked Nations League group winners that did not finish their World Cup qualifying group in first or second place. These 16 teams will then be bracketed to clinch the remaining four World Cup spots in March teams cannot reach the World Cup via the intercontinental playoff. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!

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