"I don't decide when to leave, the president will" - Carlo Ancelotti addresses Real Madrid future amid exit rumors

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has shed light on the rumors surrounding his future in the Spanish capital. Ancelotti said the decision of whether or not he continues as Los Blancos coach is in the hands of club president Florentino Perez.

In January, Spanish outlet Onda Cero reported that Ancelotti will leave Real Madrid at the end of the season. However, the Italian manager was quick to debunk such reports, saying he planned to remain at the club for another four years, although he added that the power to retain his managerial role was not in his hands.

Ancelotti’s current Real Madrid contract will expire in the summer of 2026, having last signed a contract extension in 2023. Bayern Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso has often been mentioned as a possible replacement for the 65-year-old Italian.

Amid the uncertainty surrounding his future at the Santiago Bernabeu, Ancelotti has poured cold water on rumors of an imminent exit but acknowledged that he has no control over his future at the club.

Carlo Ancelotti said on the PoretCast di Giacomo Poretti podcast (via Madrid Xtra's X handle):

"Leaving Real Madrid? I don't know when. I don't decide. The only clear thing I know is that I don't decide when to leave, the president will. It will happen sooner or later."

Since returning to the Spanish capital for his second spell in 2021, Ancelotti has led Real Madrid to 10 titles, including two Champions League. Apart from that, the Italian is the most decorated coach in the club’s 123-year history, having won a total of 15 trophies since his first stint in 2013.

''He would put a towel over his face so as not to hear me'' - Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti lifts lid on having ‘problems’ with his players

In the same interview, Carlo Ancelotti revealed that he does fall out with his players but added that he always ends up settling his differences with them. The Madrid boss has always been lauded for his man-management skills and closeness with his players.

Speaking to Giacomo Poretti, Ancelotti opened up on falling out with some of his players, saying:

“Many players have had problems with me, but in the end everything has been resolved. There was a player, I won’t give his name, who when I spoke in the dressing room, he would put a towel over his face so as not to hear me. It was at the beginning of his career. One day I told him: ‘We can’t go on like this.’ There are players who, when you leave them on the bench, find it difficult to greet you in the morning. That’s when they confuse the person with the player.”

Carlo Ancelotti’s men will next be in action against Rayo Vallecano in LaLiga on Sunday (March 9).