Will he stay? Will he go? If so, where will he go? Rumors have been swirling around Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti for weeks. Only one thing seems certain at the moment—that nothing is certain. Now, according to reports, there appears to be movement in the case again.
According to The Athletic, Carlo Ancelotti and Real Madrid have now reached a verbal agreement on the terms of the Italian’s early departure from the Royal Club. According to the report, the 65-year-old’s departure will be made public before the end of the season in Spain. The report also states that this could happen after Sunday’s Clasico against league leaders FC Barcelona.
With four games remaining and a four-point gap to the Catalans, Real are almost forced to win the game if they don’t want to see their chances of winning the title slip away completely. However, if Barcelona prevails, Madrid could well draw a line under the season and focus fully on the FIFA Club World Cup (June 15 to July 13, 2025).
Brazil, Saudi Arabia, and money
There has been intense speculation for weeks about Ancelotti’s departure this summer. According to various media reports, he has verbally agreed with the Brazilian Football Confederation to take over the record world champions’ national team, which has been underperforming for years, and coach them at the 2026 World Cup.
But then it was suddenly reported that the charismatic coach had turned down the Selecao because the Brazilians were already counting on him in June, but contrary to the original agreement, he would apparently not be available until August. There are also rumors of a lucrative financial offer from Saudi Arabia, which the 65-year-old is said to have received.
And then there is another unresolved issue. Ancelotti’s contract with Real is valid until 2026, so the coach is said to have insisted on a severance payment of four million euros. However, from the point of view of Madrid president Florentino Perez, this was a departure initiated by Ancelotti himself, meaning that Real would not have to pay any financial compensation. On this point, the two sides now seem to have reached an agreement, at least if The Athletic is to be believed. However, nothing has been confirmed.
So everything remains rather vague, and Ancelotti’s next chapter is still up in the air. Ancelotti himself recently emphasized that he would not discuss his future before May 25, the last day of the Spanish league season. And yet, it seems very likely that Ancelotti will leave the Royal Club. Bayer Leverkusen’s Xabi Alonso has been touted as the hottest candidate to replace him for weeks.
