Real Madrid find Carlo Ancelotti replacement after Jose Mourinho discusses job

23 November 2023 , 08:15

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Carlo Ancelotti will leave Real Madrid and Jose Mourinho has been linked with a return (Image: Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images)

Real Madrid have already contacted Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi to discuss the possibility of him replacing Carlo Ancelotti at the end of the season.

Ancelotti’s contract expires in June and Real president Florentino Perez has already decided to change tack when he leaves. The experienced Italian has been lined up by the Brazilian FA to replace Fernando Diniz and now Real are working on their own succession plan.

De Zerbi has caught the eye of several big clubs through his work at Brighton and Perez is reportedly determined to secure his services and has already contacted him about the role. According to Sport, he is considered ‘the ideal profile to lead a reconstruction project’ in the summer and Perez is convinced he can handle the step up.

One of the things that has attracted the attention of Real is De Zerbi’s focus on working with young players at Brighton. The Seagulls have developed a clear easy-on-the-eye playing style and Perez wants De Zerbi to work with a core made up of Vinicius Jr. (23), Rodrygo (22), Eduardo Camavinga (21), Aurelien Tchouameni (23), Jude Bellingham (20), Fede Valverde (25) and Eder Militao (25).

Pep Guardiola summed up the hype around De Zerbi by describing him as “one of the most influential managers in the last 20 years” back in May. And the 44-year-old, who previously coached Sassuolo and Shakhtar Donetsk, appears set for the top.

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Real are changing their approach, having previously opted for experienced managers like Ancelotti, Rafa Benitez and Jose Mourinho, as well as Zinedine Zidane. Mourinho won La Liga and the Copa del Rey between 2010 and 2013, but is not expecting a return to the Spanish capital any time soon.

Mourinho told Rai2: “Me at Real Madrid? When you have a super coach, why should you think of another? Knowing Don Florentino [Perez], and I know him very well, he is a super intelligent man. If he reads the press he has his very clear ideas.

Roberto De Zerbi guided Brighton to a sixth-place finish last season (Getty Images)

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“As a Madridista, as a man who has some white ribs, and as an Ancelottian, I hope that the season goes fantastically and that next season Carlo is still there, because I think he is the perfect coach for Real Madrid."

Mourinho has been in charge of Roma since 2021 and helped the Italian side win the Europa Conference League in May 2022. He is not looking for a new job, but recently admitted that he would like to go and work in Saudi Arabia in the future. "I’ll tell you the truth, I think I’ll go there one day. But when I say ‘one day’ I don’t mean tomorrow or the day after,” he said.

“I will go to Saudi Arabia in some free time, but I am convinced that I will work there. I don’t know when, but I am pretty sure of it. Doors are always open for me in Saudi Arabia. I want to feel the development there.”

Felix Keith