Earlier this week it was announced that Carlo Ancelotti will take over as Brazil coach in June 2024. This means he will leave Real Madrid at the end of the 2023/24 season.
We don’t know what the Whites’ plans are for the managerial post after the departure of the Italian strategist, but here is a list of coaches that Florentino Perez could consider when choosing a successor to the Italian.
Raul Gonzalez: The Spaniard is an obvious choice. A club legend who is also a promising coach working at Castilla. The question is, is he ready for the big stage?
Zinedine Zidane: Another very obvious candidate. Zizou is free after leaving the Bernabeu bench in 2021. He has proven to be one of the best coaches in the world and can lead the rebuilding of Madrid started by Ancelotti.
Antonio Conte: The Italian is out of work after leaving Tottenham. Apart from his failed spell at Spurs, he has won titles everywhere he has gone and a move to Madrid makes perfect sense for him. However, it is not clear whether he would be able to face the notorious Spanish press.
Jose Mourinho: Why not? The Special One is at Roma, working with very limited finances but still making things happen with the Conference League title in the bag. Mourinho is a Madrid legend and his second coming could see him cement that status.
Maurizio Sarri: A foreign choice, the Italian is doing wonders with Lazio, finishing second in Serie A last season on a shoestring budget. He previously built a Napoli team that played extremely attractive football, won the Europa League with Chelsea and guided Juventus to their last Serie A title to date.
Arsene Wenger: The Frenchman may be a strange but interesting choice. His record at Arsenal speaks for itself and Wenger previously revealed he was a Madridista growing up. He has been part of FIFA for a while.
Imanol Alguacil: If Madrid are looking at La Liga coaches, Imanol is their best bet. The Basque has guided Real Sociedad to fourth place in the 2022/23 season, meaning La Real will play in the Champions League for just the fifth time in their history. And if that doesn’t convince you, then La Real’s 34-year wait for a Copa del Rey title in 2021 will surely end.
Xabi Alonso: The Spaniard is doing an excellent job with Bayer Leverkusen, leading them to the semi-finals of the Europa League less than a year after taking charge of a side that were second in the Bundesliga.
