Klopp, Conte & six coaches who could replace Ancelotti at Real Madrid

James Shearman

• Updated: 16 Feb 2022 13:25 CST
• 4 min read

Carlo Ancelotti's second stint as Real Madrid head coach could be up at the end of the season.

Los Blancos sit top of La Liga, and are in the knockout phase of the Champions League, but president Florentino Perez is unimpressed by the negative style of play.

In fact, Madrid's performance in Tuesday's 1-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain has been described as one of the more defensive displays the team has ever produced.

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And, since Ancelotti was a short-term solution, rather than part of a long-term vision, it wouldn't reflect so badly on the Madrid hierarchy should they choose to let him go.

The likes of Jurgen Klopp and Antonio Conte are thought to be be on Perez's shortlist, alongside a number of Europe's other top class coaches.

So, who could replace Ancelotti at Real Madrid this summer?

Jurgen Klopp

Jurgen Klopp is under contract at Liverpool until 2024, so the German would have to resign from his position at Anfield to take on the job.

This seems highly unlikely as the former Borussia Dortmund boss is now a legend on Merseyside, and would tarnish his legacy considerably should he leave for Spain.

That said, Klopp has won it all at Liverpool and could relish the chance to manage in another league.

His 'heavy metal football' would go down incredibly well with the Real Madrid faithful.

Antonio Conte

Antonio Conte was one of the names to be heavily linked with the Madrid job last summer, that ultimately went the way of Carlo Ancelotti.

Conte has only recently taken over at Tottenham, where he has been backed in the transfer market with the deadline day additions of Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur from Juventus.

However, Spurs need an awful lot of transfer activity in this summer's window if they are to satisfy the Italian's desire to compete at the top of the Premier League.

Conte and Tottenham owner Daniel Levy are both incredibly stubborn, so a falling out could be on the cards, paving the way for the former Chelsea man to move to the Santiago Bernabeu.

Erik ten Hag

Erik ten Hag has been linked with European football's top coaching jobs for a number of years, but is yet to have made the switch from Ajax.

Ten Hag led the Dutch outfit to the Champions League semi-final in 2019 and has built upon that success with last season's Eredivise title.

He has also received plenty of credit for his attacking style, which would get the Madrid fans on board.

But, having not managed any superstars of the sport, it would be a significant risk to give the 52-year-old a chance at, arguably, the most star-driven club in the world.

Mauricio Pochettino

Mauricio Pochettino's work at Tottenham was so remarkable that his struggles at Paris Saint-Germain may almost be forgotten.

The Argentine completely transformed the north London club, taking them to their only Champions League final.

However, there are questions marks over his ability to deal with big egos, something he would encounter at Real Madrid.

And, the PSG job he is doing is more similar to the Madrid job than Spurs, so maybe he isn't a suitable fit?

Roberto Mancini

Roberto Mancini's stock rose considerably with Italy's European Championship success.

The former Manchester City manager led the Azzuri to their first EUROs win since 1968, beating host nation England in the final.

Yet, Italy must go through two rounds of playoffs in order to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Should they miss out on the competition, Mancini could leave the international scene for Real Madrid.

Zinedine Zidane

Zinedine Zidane's third spell as Real Madrid boss would be an incredible turn of events, but one that isn't impossible.

Linked with the Manchester United job a few months ago, Zizou is still out of employment since leaving the Bernabeu last May.

The Frenchman has won three Champions League's and two La Liga titles, so there are absolutely no doubts over his credentials.

And, while he may have planned to stay away from the club for a while, his love for Los Blancos could be enough to lure him into another return.