Five coaches who could replace Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid

Suraj Radia

• Updated: 6 Mar 2023 16:27 GMT
• 5 min read

Carlo Ancelotti will go down as one of the greatest managers of all time, however his tenure at Real Madrid could come to an end this summer.

The Italian still has a year to run on his contract but there is speculation that he could leave his role and head for international management following an uncomfortable season so far for Real.

Ancelotti has won five trophies during his second spell in Madrid, including a league and European cup double last season, however Real find themselves nine points behind leaders Barcelona in La Liga despite being on course to qualify for the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

EXIT?: Ancelotti 'agrees' to leave Real for big job

There is reportedly tension between Ancelotti and president Florentino Perez, with Real on a run of three games without a win, and FootballTransfers takes a look at five potential replacements to take over at the Bernabeu in the summer.

Who could replace Ancelotti at Real Madrid?

Zinedine Zidane

At this point, Zidane’s name will never not be associated with Real whenever there is talk of a new manager, particularly with the Frenchman having been without a job since being replaced by Ancelotti in 2021.

Zidane won 11 trophies, including three Champions Leagues, across two spells with Real and he is believed to be open to a return having turned down a host of jobs during his time out of management.

For Real, there aren’t too many managers capable of delivering trophies as well as handling the pressure of the role, meaning they may turn to Zidane for a third time in a ‘tried-and-tested’ approach.

Antonio Conte

A riskier option could be Antonio Conte, who is likely to leave Tottenham when his contract expires in the summer, although the Italian’s stock may have fallen in recent times.

Conte arrived in North London with a reputation as one of the greatest managers in the world but his time with Spurs has been disappointing, with the team no closer to challenging the Premier League’s elite sides than before.

The ex-Juventus boss has won five league titles across three clubs but has never lifted a European trophy, while his high-demand attitude may not go down well with Real’s board, however a man of his talents cannot be ignored if he is available.

Raul

Real may also choose to go down the ‘homegrown’ path and promote the manager of their Castilla team, having seen it pay off with Zidane, particularly with another club legend in Raul at the helm.

The all-time leading goalscorer for Real has led the ‘B’ team since 2019, winning the UEFA Youth League in 2020, and his side are currently in the play-off places in the third tier of Spain.

Raul’s record with Castilla has hardly set the world alight but it was a similar case with Zidane, although Real would need to ensure that they see the Spaniard as the correct choice rather than hiring him for sentimental reasons.

Thomas Tuchel

Another tempting choice for Real could be Thomas Tuchel, who has been out of work since his sacking at Chelsea at the start of the season, and the German boss has reportedly been learning Spanish in case he is offered a role in Spain.

Tuchel is known as an intelligent tactician who has no interest in club politics, instead preferring to focus on coaching his players, a mindset which led Chelsea to Champions League success in 2021 less than six months after he arrived at the club.

Having taken some time away from football, Tuchel is thought to be ready to step back into management and, while he has seen jobs at Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea end in disappointment, he has the capabilities of getting the best out of Real’s young guns.

Jurgen Klopp

Jurgen Klopp has established himself as one of the best managers of his generation but the German may consider an exit from Liverpool after seven seasons with the Premier League side, with the club slowly declining from the high standards previously set.

Klopp has won seven trophies during his time at Anfield and has faced Real on numerous occasions with Liverpool, so the Spanish side are certainly familiar with his ability and how difficult his teams are to face.

While the German does not speak Spanish, his pedigree would do all the talking and Real would certainly push for Klopp if the option was available, although there is no guarantee that he would want to leave Liverpool despite the temptation for a new challenge.