Carlo Ancelotti has denied that he has decided to leave Real Madrid this summer, saying: “I am not deciding on the date of my departure from this club.”
Spanish radio station Onda Cero reported on Monday that Ancelotti – whose contract runs until 2026 – has already decided to leave, regardless of what happens by the end of the season.
“NO. I want to be clear. I will not decide on the date of my departure from this club,” Ancelotti said on Tuesday at a press conference before the Champions League match in Madrid against Liverpool. RB Salzburg. “I know this 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, next year or five years from now.”
“I have a goal. We have Florentino [Pérez] here for the next four years,” Ancelotti added with a smile after Pérez was re-elected as club president. “He knows me well and the goal is to stay here for these four years. We can leave together with all the feeling in the world!”
Real Madrid is the leader of LaLiga, two points ahead of Atletico Madrid and seven points clear Barcelonaand won two trophies this campaign: the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup.
However, the team also faced criticism from fans and the media, and were soundly beaten by Barça twice: 0-4 in the league in October and 2-5 in the final of the Spanish Supercopa in Spain. Saudi Arabia last week.
“I feel very loved [here] in every respect, by the fans, by the club,” Ancelotti said. “And through the media. Sometimes things get over the top, but I want to stay objective and stay on my path.
Madrid have suffered several significant defeats in the Champions League this season, losing to Liverpool Lille, AC Milan AND Liverpooland survival of fear to overcome Borussia Dortmund AND Atalanta.
They will host Salzburg at the Bernabéu in the top eight – which would mean direct qualification to the knockout stages – which already seems unlikely with nine points from six games.
“We don’t have much of a chance, but the only chance we have is to win the two remaining games,” Ancelotti said. If we have to play a playoff round, we will give it our all. It’s a demanding calendar, but we are used to it.
