Carlo Ancelotti is set to depart Real Madrid and become head coach of the Brazil national team, according to reports, with Liverpool great Xabi Alonso tipped to replace him.
The Italian is in his second stint with Los Blancos, holding the post since 2021 and delivering a brace of Champions League trophies to the Bernabeu in that time, alongside a raft of other silverware.
But the 65-year-old, contracted to Real Madrid through 2026, is set to call time on his stint in the Spanish capital, opting instead for the Selecao of Brazil.
He is expected to leave at the end of the season ahead of Real’s Club World Cup campaign in America, which begins on June 18.
Ancelotti’s Real Madrid career will end on a low note
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The decision comes as Real have underperformed their stratospheric standards throughout this season, crashing out of the Champions League in the quarter-finals and set for a second-place finish in La Liga. They were cruelly beaten in the Copa del Rey final by arch-rivals Barcelona at the weekend, losing by way of a 116th-minute winner from Jules Kounde as Toni Rudiger and Jude Bellingham were both sent off for dissent late in extra time.
He will replace Dorival Junior in his new post, who won just seven out of 16 matches in charge of Brazil before being sacked in March. With the 2026 World Cup looming next summer, Ancelotti will be under pressure to deliver the World Cup to Brazil for the first time since 2002.
Back in Madrid, though, Liverpool and Real Madrid legend Alonso has been tipped to replace the outgoing Ancelotti. The Spaniard, a childhood friend of Mikel Arteta, spent five years at Real Madrid towards the end of his career, earning one La Liga and one Champions League title in that time.
Alonso has made a name for himself in his first years as a manager
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It is understood that Alonso’s contract does not feature a release clause, but that Leverkusen executives will not stand in his way should he look to leave.
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He currently serves as head coach at Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen, in what is his first senior managerial role. He led them to a first Bundesliga title in 2023-24, enjoying a 49-match unbeaten run as he did so, and signed a contract extension in March 2024 amid significant interest from Real Madrid, Liverpool, and Bayern Munich, where he ended his playing career.
Should the deal be completed, he will be tasked with returning Real’s star-studded squad to the summit of Spanish and European football.
As Ancelotti is not expected to participate in the Club World Cup, Alonso’s first match in charge could be a group stage tie against Saudi Pro League champions Al Hilal at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. Making up the rest of Real’s Club World Cup group are Austria’s RB Salzburg, whom Alonso’s Leverkusen beat 5-0 in a November Champions League tie, and seven-time Mexican champions CF Pachuca.
