Carlo Ancelotti has admitted he hopes to stay at Real Madrid “as long as possible” amid rumors linking him with a head coach job at his former club Roma.
Speaking to Radio Ancio Sport, Ancelotti played down the possibility of a 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 Champions League history, spent six years at Madrid over two spells, winning 15 trophies in that period.
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: “The 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 will have… Contracts can be canceled but they can also be extended!”, he told Radio Ancio Le Sport. pic.twitter.com/enZToWEF34
– Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 30, 2024
“Roma? There's a lot of talk about it,” he said. “But I'm very happy at Real Madrid and I'm working to stay here as long as possible.
He added: “It is an honor and a pleasure for me to coach Real Madrid. Winning is not easy at all, but doing it here is a little easier than anywhere else.”
Madrid is currently experiencing something of an up and down season. The team is second in La Liga, one point behind leaders and city rivals Atletico, but sits 20th in the new Champions League table and is in real danger of missing out on automatic qualification to the last 16.
Roma, under the leadership of Leicester City's Premier League-winning coach Claudio Ranieri, is also struggling this season.
The team currently ranks tenth in the Italian League, 21 points behind leaders Atalanta, and occupies 14th place in the European League table.
Vecchio al Meazza's Trilogy.
Match up with Dybala's net early on.#Milan_Roma pic.twitter.com/i8EVBHlRsA
– FC Roma (@OfficialASRoma) December 29, 2024
But Ancelotti, nicknamed “Don Carlo” in Spain, says he will always feel a great affinity for the Giallorossi, whom he captained in 1985 under the late Sven-Goran Eriksson.
Ancelotti added: “(Claudio) Ranieri is a friend and works very well, and I am very happy for him.”
He added: “Obviously I am very attached to Roma, as I always have great memories, but there is a big difference between words and deeds.”
“At the moment I'm happy here and I'm not thinking about my future. I still have a two-year contract here, but contracts can be terminated or extended.