Carlo Ancelotti admitted he hopes to stay at Real Madrid for “as long as possible” amid rumours linking him with the head coach job at his former club, Roma.
Speaking to Radio Anch’io Sport, Ancelotti played down a possible move to the Serie A club, with whom he spent eight years as a player from 1979 to 1987.
The 65-year-old manager, the most successful in Uefa Champions League history, has been at Madrid for a total of six years across two stints, winning 15 trophies in that time.
His current contract with Los Blancos runs until the summer of 2026, although Ancelotti said he would be willing to extend his stay in the Spanish capital indefinitely.
🚨 Carlo Ancelotti: “AS Roma job? I’m very happy at Real Madrid. I want to stay here as long as possible”.
“My contract? You never know how long you stay… contracts can be broken but can also be extended!”, told Radio Anch’io Lo Sport. pic.twitter.com/enZToWEF34
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 30, 2024
“Roma? There is a lot of talk about it,” he said. “But I am very happy at Real Madrid and I am working to stay here as long as possible.
“It’s an honour and a pleasure for me to coach Real Madrid, winning is never easy but doing it here is a little easier than in other places.”
Madrid are currently experiencing something of an up and down season. They are second in La Liga, one point behind leaders and city rivals Atletico, but sit 20th in the new-look Champions League table and are in real danger of missing out on automatic qualification to the Round of 16.
Roma, under the stewardship of Leicester City’s Premier League-winning boss Claudio Ranieri, are also struggling this term.
They are currently 10th in Serie A, 21 points adrift of leaders Atalanta, and are 14th in the Europa League table.
Triplice fischio al Meazza.
La pareggiamo con la rete di Dybala nel primo tempo.#MilanRoma pic.twitter.com/i8EVBHlRsA
— AS Roma (@OfficialASRoma) December 29, 2024
But Ancelotti, nicknamed ‘Don Carlo’ in Spain, says he will always feel a great affinity for ‘I Giallorossi’, who he captained in 1985 under the late Sven-Goran Eriksson.
“[Claudio] Ranieri is a friend and is doing very well, I am very happy for him,” Ancelotti added.
“I am obviously very attached to Roma, where I always have great memories, but there is a big difference between saying and doing.”
“For now I am happy here and I am not thinking about my future. I still have a two-year contract here, but contracts can be broken or extended.”
