Carlo Ancelotti hints at retirement - 'Real Madrid will be my last club, not so excited at coaching national team'
Published 02/08/2024 at 15:33 GMT+1
Legendary manager Carlo Ancelotti has revealed Real Madrid will be the final club he manages in his 30-year career. The five-time Champions League winner signed a contract extension in December to remain as Los Blancos coach until the end of the 2025/26 season. The Italian thinks his current role will be his last in club football.
'Unexplainable, magical' - Ancelotti on how Real Madrid mounted yet another comeback
Video credit: SNTV
Carlo Ancelotti has revealed Real Madrid will likely be the last club side he manages in his career.
The Italian helped Real complete a league and European double last season, guiding his side to another La Liga title before defeating Borussia Dortmund 2-0 in the Champions League final at Wembley.
Ancelotti returned for his second stint as Real Madrid coach in 2021, after previously managing the club between 2013 and 2015.
After spells in charge of Bayern Munich, Napoli and Everton, the 65-year-old moved back to the Spanish capital and has won two league titles in three years.
Real Madrid have also won two Champions League trophies and a Copa Del Rey in that time.
Speaking on the Obi One Podcast, to his former Chelsea man John Obi Mikel, Ancelotti admitted "this will be my last club".
"If there is an opportunity for a national team, I don't know," he said. "I'm not so excited at coaching a national team because I would lose what I like most, the day-to-day. I really enjoy what I'm doing.
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2024/07/29/4012416-81385968-2560-1440.jpg)
'I wanted to follow Ronaldo' - Real Madrid's future star Endrick on his move to the Bernabeu
Video credit: SNTV
"This is my season number 29 as a coach. It's true that I have won a lot but imagine the number of titles I lost."
Ancelotti will likely go down as one of the greatest managers of his generation having won five Champions League titles.
The veteran coach signed a contract extension back in December to remain at the Bernabeu until the end of the 2025/26 season.
One of the key figures in his current squad, Brazilian winger Vinicius Junior, is worthy of a Ballon d'Or award, according to his coach.
- 'Club of my dreams' - Mbappe embraces packed-out Bernabeu in official Real Madrid unveiling
- ‘Decade of dominance’ – McManaman, Ferdinand on potential ‘scary’ future at Real
"I think Vinicius is going to win [a Ballon d'Or] because he is a talented player and he did really well last season," Ancelotti said.
"It's true that Dani Carvajal did very well too. Carvajal won the league, the Champions League, scoring in the final, and won the European Championship.
"But Vinicius is young, talented, he has a good image. He won the league and won the Champions League, scoring twice in the semi-final and scoring in the final.
"Jude Bellingham also had a fantastic season. He was a big surprise. The best player in the league."
Ancelotti will have even more firepower to choose from at Real Madrid this season, with French superstar Kylian Mbappe joining the club this summer. His coach expects a swift adaptation to life in Spain for the France international captain.
"I think it will not be a problem," Ancelotti added. "The key point is that every player has to put his talent at the service of the team and the teammates. For Mbappe it will be exactly the same."
---
discovery+ is the streaming home of the Olympic Games, and the only place you can watch every moment of Paris 2024 this summer.
Related Topics
Advertisement
Advertisement