When asked if he has decided to leave Real Madrid this summer, Carlo Ancelotti responded, “I won’t decide my departure date from this club.”
No matter what transpires between now and the conclusion of the season, Ancelotti, whose contract expires in 2026, has already made the decision to go on, according to a story published on Monday by Spanish radio station Onda Cero.
“No. I want to be very clear. I won’t decide my departure date from this club,” Ancelotti said on Tuesday in a news conference ahead of Madrid’s Champions League game with RB Salzburg. “I know the day will come. But when that day will come, I don’t know. I won’t decide. It could be tomorrow, after the next game, in a year, or in five years.”
“I have a target. We have Florentino [Pérez] here for another four years,” Ancelotti added, smiling, after Pérez was re-elected as club president. “He knows me well, and the target is to be here for those four years. We can leave together with all the affection in the world!”
In addition to winning two titles this season—the FIFA Intercontinental Cup and the UEFA Super Cup—Real Madrid leads La Liga by two points over Atletico Madrid and seven points over Barcelona.
Criticism after defeat to Barcelona
In addition to being severely defeated by Barça twice—0–4 in the league in October and 2–5 in the Spanish Supercopa final in Saudi Arabia last week—the team has also drawn criticism from supporters and the media.
“I feel very loved [here] in every sense, by the fans, by the club,” Ancelotti said. “And by the media. Sometimes things get exaggerated, but I want to stay objective and follow my path.”
Despite overcoming scares to defeat Borussia Dortmund and Atalanta, Madrid has experienced some significant setbacks in the Champions League this season, including defeats to Lille, AC Milan, and Liverpool.
With nine points from six games, a top eight finish—which would guarantee direct advancement to the knockout stage—is already looking improbable as they host Salzburg at the Bernabéu.
“We don’t have much chance, but the only chance we have is winning the two remaining games,” Ancelotti said. “If we have to play the playoff round, we’ll do our best. It’s a demanding calendar, but we’re used to it.”
