Ancelotti's men face Valencia on January 3 in a match rescheduled following November's tragic floods.
The first LaLiga match of 2025 sees struggling Valencia face Real Madrid at the Mestalla, with the match being rescheduled after the original match was postponed in November following the torrential floods that devastated the city.
The match will be the first for new Valencia boss Carlos Corberán, with the local coach called up to replace Ruben Baraja, who was relieved of his role with the team languishing in the relegation zone.
Valencia has only been relegated once in the club's history (1986) and now, for the first time in more than three decades, the club is on the brink as the competition reaches its halfway point.
Fans angry at owner
Many Valencia fans have long been directing their dissatisfaction with the way the club is run at owner, Singapore-based businessman Peter Lim.
The 70-year-old took charge of the Mestalla-based team in 2014 and over the years Valencia have transformed from a Champions League regular to a team battling to maintain their top-flight status.
Fans are angry that the money generated from player sales is not being channeled to the team, while there is a rapid change of head coaches, meaning no sporting project has the chance to flourish as the club turns to the youth academy instead of spending money on the transfer market.
Fan group Libertad VCF also claims the club wants to sell their Mestalla stadium and is in cahoots with local politicians over what they claim is property speculation.
There have been a series of protests against the then ownership in recent seasons, but with Real Madrid's high-profile visit, Valencia's fan consortium is urging supporters to leave Mestalla empty on January 3, sending a strong message to the millions of television channels worldwide. viewers.
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