Italian Carlo Ancelotti will not enhance his rich resume – at least this season – as the most crowned coach in the European Football Champions League (4 times) with his team, Real Madrid, was eliminated – yesterday, Wednesday – from the semi-finals, but his near future appears within the walls of the royal club.
“I do not want to listen to this issue anymore,” commented the president of the Royal Club, Florentino Perez, on the sixth of last April, after his team crowned the King’s Cup title by defeating Osasuna 2-1, ending speculation about the future of the distinguished coach who is strongly pursued by the national team. Brazil.
Nothing changed after that, but Real Madrid ended a regular season, after losing its two titles in the Champions League, with a severe loss against Manchester City, England, 1-5 on aggregate, and the domestic league in favor of its rivals, Barcelona.
And after winning the only local cup title that lacks his coffers, the Italian “Meester” will have won 6 titles with Real in 475 days, the League, Cup, Champions League, Spanish Super, European Super and Club World Cup. All this in less than two seasons, a precedent for a Real Madrid coach.
Eyebrow reduction
With his soft-spoken personality, dancing eyebrows and knack for speaking, he contained fans, journalists, officials, and most importantly: the players.
A year ago, Carlito said during the La Liga title celebration in May 2022, “The players are my friends.”
And if he had previously announced that he would end his career at Real Madrid, the Italian coach admitted that he might have been hasty.
Brazil is chasing him fiercely, after the departure of its coach, Tite, following a disappointing World Cup that saw them qualify for the quarter-finals, before going out to Croatia on penalties.
In the face of the insistence of journalists, Ancelotti – who will be 64 years old on the tenth of next June, the day of the Champions League final – cut them off last spring by saying, “Let things be clear: I will not talk about my professional future before the end of the season. I am calm and focused on our season.” I want to run out of my contract until 2024.”
He concluded jokingly – similar to the end of his press conferences – “And if Real is happy with me, if he wants to keep me, I will stay until 2034.”
And he added – early last month – “I do not know the president of the Brazilian Football Confederation. But if he wants to come to Madrid to negotiate with me, I would love to meet him and welcome him. I love staying at Real Madrid, I love this club.”
New stadium.. and Bellingham?
Ancelotti’s decision can be understood, especially before the 2024 season, which looks promising.
And he will finally play in his renewed stadium, the Santiago Bernabeu, which is expected to end in December 2023, in which works began at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, so the end of this year is the expected inauguration date.
The white team’s lineup is also continuing to develop, as Ancelotti confirmed the recruitment of left-back Fran Garcia from Rayo Vallecano, and hopes that midfielder Ibrahim Diaz, loaned to Milan, will return.
Real is working on the file of the brilliant young English midfielder Jude Bellingham this season with Borussia Dortmund. According to press reports, Dortmund gave its approval to the White Castle, but an agreement remains on the penalty clause, which may exceed 100 million euros.
In light of these facts, Ancelotti – who is the only coach to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League in 4 decades (1990-2020) – will be convinced to prolong his stay in the Spanish capital.
He will also be ready for a new adventure that will lead him to a fifth title as a coach in the Champions League and catch up with the French Zinedine Zidane, the second most title-winning coach with Real Madrid (11 titles) behind Miguel Muñoz (14 titles).
