Real Madrid president Florentino Perez shortlists 3 names for head coach role amid Carlo Ancelotti's uncertain future: Reports
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has identified Xabi Alonso, Raul Gonzalez Blanco, and Zinedine Zidane as Carlo Ancelotti's potential replacements, as per fichajes.net. This comes after Los Blancos suffered a 5-2 defeat to Barcelona in the Supercopa de Espana final on Sunday (January 12).
According to the report, Ancelotti could be relieved from his duties if the club's results fail to improve. Real Madrid have had an underwhelming campaign so far. They are placed 20th in the UEFA Champions League with just nine points from six games.
Former Real Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso is among the options to take over at the club if Ancelotti is fired. Alonso is currently at Bayer Leverkusen and the team won their first Bundesliga title under his leadership last season.
In the ongoing season, Leverkusen are placed second in the Bundesliga table, four points behind leaders Bayern Munich. They are fourth in the UCL's league phase table and likely to secure automatic qualification to the playoffs.
Meanwhile, Raul is a familiar figure at the Bernabeu and the current coach of Real Madrid Castilla. Under the Spaniards' leadership this season, Castilla are ranked 14th in the Primera Federación with 22 points from 19 games.
Zidane has previously served as Los Blancos manager on two occasions. In his first stint from January 2016 to June 2018, Madrid won 105, drew 28, and lost 16 out of 149 games.
During Zidane's second stint from March 2019 to June 2021, Los Blancos won 69, drew 25, and lost 20 out of 114 games played. Madrid won the 2015-16, 2016-17, and 2017-18 Champions League titles, among others, under his stewardship. However, there are reports that Zidane could replace Didier Deschamps as France's manager in 2026.
How has Rodrygo performed at Real Madrid this season?
Rodrygo has been an integral part of Los Blancos' attack this season. The Brazilian forward has scored seven goals and registered four assists in 23 games for Los Blancos this season.
After Kylian Mbappe joined the Spanish joints last summer, many expected Rodrygo's influence on the team to reduce. However, the 24-year-old remains an important member of Los Blancos' squad and scored their second goal in the recent 5-2 defeat against Barcelona.
Rodrygo's presence could be key for Madrid when they take on Celta Vigo in the Copa del Rey on Thursday (January 16).
