Carlo Ancelotti has done a brilliant job in his second stint as Real Madrid manager, and he is loved in and around the club. However, his contract is up in the summer of 2024, and recent rumours have suggested a possible departure as soon as next summer, if the club finish trophyless. If that does happen, who could Los Blancos look towards to replace the Italian?
Before deciding on a specific manager, the club must decide which profile of coach they desire. The recent trend in Europe has been to appoint coaches who are cemented in a certain style of play they believe in. While Real Madrid have often been more successful with flexible managers who provide tactical systems that rely more heavily on the stars to produce.
Ancelotti, Jose Mourinho, and Zinedine Zidane have been Real Madrid’s most successful managers of the past 15 years, and all three depended on player freedom in the attacking third of the pitch. The problem with this style of manager is that there are so few of them who are elite and available.
Zidane is currently without a club, but a return to the Spanish capital before taking on a new challenge is probably unlikely. The former German national team coach Joachim Low is also a free agent, however he has not managed in the club game since 2004, and never at a club as big as Real Madrid.
Who could be Real Madrid’s next manager if Ancelotti leaves?
If Real Madrid opted for a more detail-oriented tactician, Thomas Tuchel would likely be the priority. He has a fantastic record in knockout competitions, and big club experience after his stints at Chelsea, PSG and Borussia Dortmund.
Mauricio Pochettino also seems to be forever linked to the Real Madrid job. And Julian Nagelsmann of Bayern Munich, could be a potential candidate as well, although that would be an unlikely coup.
Of course, manager availability could change in an instant, adding new options, or Real Madrid could promote from within, as they did with Zidane years ago. The Raul rumours have been doing the rounds in recent weeks.
The topic of Real Madrid’s next manager will be continually discussed as rumours swirl around Ancelotti’s future, and the board will have to find someone who can manage stars. It is vital that the right man is brought in, in case the Italian departs, and they will have big shoes to fill.