Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has decided that he will be leaving Los Blancos at the end of the 2024/25 campaign, according to reports. The 65-year-old has reportedly insisted that his decision is final and that there will be no U-turns made.
Born and raised in Reggiolo, Italy, Ancelotti has carved a career that many would be jealous of but his most notable stint in the world of management has come with the Spanish juggernauts. He started off in his native country for the likes of Juventus and AC Milan before being lured to Chelsea in 2009.
A plethora of silverware came his way but nothing compares to his two stints with the La Liga outfit. His first spell, equating to 119 games in charge, came between July 2013 and May 2015 before being recalled – after a bizzare stay in England with Everton – by Florentino Perez and his entourage in 2021.
GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Ancelotti has won 15 trophies as Real Madrid manager – the most of any boss in the club’s long and storied history.
Ancelotti renewed his terms with the club’s higher-ups – spearheaded by club President Perez – in 2023 when talks emerged of his potential move to Brazil, but two years later, his 204-game spell looks as if it’s coming to an end finally.
As things stand, the Italian tactician’s current contract is set to expire in the summer of 2026 but, according to reports, everything indicates that he will bid farewell to his current position upon this season’s conclusion.
“No matter what happens, Ancelotti won’t stay on Real Madrid’s bench next season”, stated on ‘Radioestadio Noche’ by Edu Pidal, a journalist from Onda Cero.
The report continues to state that Ancelotti, among the top 10 managers with the most trophies in football history, is not considering the prospect of retirement but, instead, is evaluating whether to move to a different country to continue his coaching endeavours as he nears closer to the age of 70.
In his second spell in Madrid, the decorated custodian has delivered a further two Champions League titles (in 2021/22 and 2023/24) alongside a duo of La Liga crowns in the same years but, amid a frustrating start to the current season, he has decided to call it quits once all games are finished.
Regardless of whether they are able to pick up more silverware this season, Ancelotti is set to step down and Bayer Leverkusen’s Xabi Alonso – regarded as one of the best young managers in world football – has been earmarked as the leading favourite to take over after being courted by Liverpool pre-Arne Slot.
The Spaniard was instrumental in Die Werkself’s unbeaten campaign in 2023/24 and, in dedicating his immediate future to the club, ignored all approaches in the summer. Whether he could be, with his contract set to expire in the summer of 2026, tempted into moving to his former club remains to be seen.
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