Real Madrid draw 5-man shortlist for Carlo Ancelotti replacement - Reports

Real Madrid have reportedly drawn up a five-man shortlist as they prepare to replace manager Carlo Ancelotti.

Ancelotti's future seems to lie away from Los Blancos, just a year removed from winning the La Liga and UEFA Champions League double. His Merengues side have faltered domestically this season, trailing league leaders Barcelona by 12 points. Madrid also lost the Supercopa de Espana final to the Blaugrana and trail their El Clasico rivals 1-0 heading into the second leg of their Copa del Rey semifinal.

According to El Confidencial, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has earmarked five candidates to replace Ancelotti. The first of them is Raul Gonzalez. The Spanish icon is currently managing Madrid's reserve team, Castilla. He has impressed in the role, with the outfit sitting fourth in the Primera Federation. They have won 13 of 28 games, and Raul knows the Bernabeu club inside out.

The next candidate to replace Ancelotti is another club legend, Xabi Alonso. He took up the role as Bayer Leverkusen manager last October and has dramatically transformed their fortunes. Leverkusen were in the midst of a relegation battle, sitting 17th when Alonso replaced Gerardo Seane at the BayArena. However, the Spaniard has not only propelled them up to eighth in the league but has implemented an exciting style of play that has enthused fans.

Another coach synonymous with German football, Julian Nagelsmann, is also on Real Madrid's radar. Nagelsmann was shockingly sacked by Bayern Munich on Friday (March 24). That's despite the German boasting a 71.4% win percentage, winning the Bundesliga, two German Super Cups and all eight Champions League games this season. Los Blancos may need to move for him quickly, as Tottenham Hotspur are looking to hold talks, per Sky Sports News.

Former Paris Saint-Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino is Los Merengues' next option. The Argentine has been out of management since July. He was dismissed by PSG despite winning Ligue 1. His ouster eventually came down to the Parisians' 2020-21 Champions League exit against Real Madrid in the last 16.

Finally, Zinedine Zidane is being linked with yet another return to the Santiago Bernabeu. The French legend has previously had two spells with Madrid, winning three straight Champions League titles. Perez may feel that a reunion with Zidane would give his side the best chance of quickly returning to form as he has experience in the Santiago Bernabeu hot seat.

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Real Madrid boss Ancelotti could be set for Brazil job

If Ancelotti does leave Real Madrid, the question then turns to what's next for the Italian.

Manchester City's Brazilian goalkeeper Ederson has said that he has spoken to Los Blancos duo Vinicius Junior, Eder Militao and former Merengues midfielder Casemiro. He says that there's a good chance that Ancelotti could replace Tite as Brazil's next manager:

“I spoke to Casemiro, Vinicius and Militao … there's a big possibility that Carlo Ancelotti is gonna become the new coach of Brazil”.

Tite left his post as Selecao boss after their disappointing exit in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in the quarterfinals. Ramon Menezes is their current interim manager, but Brazil seem eager to lure Ancelotti to the national team.