On Tuesday, Carlo Ancelotti took charge of his 300th match as manager of Real Madrid. As things stand, he could end up closer to 400 by the time his tenure ends, as the contract he signed last December will take him through to the end of the 2025-26 season.
Ancelotti has already confirmed that he intends to retire upon leaving Real Madrid, and reports are that he would be replaced by Xabi Alonso when he does eventually walk away from football. However, that day could be further away than expected.
According to Diario AS, Ancelotti is willing to stay beyond 2026, provided that he is offered a new contract by Real Madrid. For now at least, he has not set a definitive date to retire, which is why his options are very much open.
Real Madrid’s idea is to have Alonso as Ancelotti’s successor, but if they wait too long, the current Bayer Leverkusen manager could go elsewhere. As such, a big decision could be coming the way of Florentino Perez and co. in the next 18 months.
