Ranking Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid replacements: Xabi Alonso leads way; Zinedine Zidane in the mix?

The second enchantment of Carlo Ancelotti who is in charge of Real Madrid is reportedly approaching, with the celebrated manager expected that he will leave somewhere in the coming weeks, but that forces the question – who will follow him and will take the helm of one of the most ambitious teams in Europe?

Ancelotti heralded an era of stability for Los Blancos when he returned in 2021 and two UEFA Champions League trophies won the ship for a new generation of galacticos after Kylian Mbappe was joined at Kylian Mbappe last summer. However, the second spell of the manager in the Spanish capital was never intended to last forever, and Rommel that he would leave Real Madrid for the national team of Brazil, has only picked up steam in recent weeks. Although Ancelotti’s exit seems likely, it is still unclear whether he will still be with Real Madrid in June for the club World Cup.

Regardless of when Ancelotti finally leaves Spain, there is a big task for the next manager. The crushing Champions League elimination by this month revealed exactly how much work there is to do for the successor to Ancelotti-Niet, but this new all-star edition of the team still has a successful balance, an inconsistent defense and some aging stars suggest that a innovation is needed in various functions. The new manager will be asked to create a new vision for this team while he meets the enormous high standards of the club, regardless of whether a rebuilding is at odds with their eternal search to win silverware.

While the countdown to the announcement of Real Madrid about the successor to Ancelotti is starting, here is a ranking of the candidates who may be in the race.

5. Jurgen Klopp

Jurgen Klopp is called by some oddmakers, perhaps because there is a report from Brazil that suggests He is unhappy as head of worldwide football at Red Bull Only a few months after the job is accepted. Although it might be nice to think about what a manager of his caliber could do with the stars -lined schedule of Real Madrid, the move feels extremely unlikely, especially with Klopp’s agent who comes out with a statement that says that The former Liverpool -Baas is “very happy” in his current role. Time to remove this from the list.

4. Raul

Just like every club, Real Madrid has the option to look internally and if they decide to go that route, Raul would be the choice. One of the most legendary players in the club, the resident of Madrid has been the leadership of the reserve team since 2019 and is probably previously looking for a promotion instead of later. He may be too inexperienced for a job with such high expectations, so it is unlikely that Raul is the choice this time. It feels similar to Santiago Solari, who was the Real Madrid reserves boss before joined the Senior Team in 2018 as a caretaker’s manager after dismissing Julen Lopetegui. By March he was after the elimination of the Champions League in Ajax.

3. Zinedine Zidane

Hire Zidane Zidane again almost As an internal choice, given his legendary stints and both a player and a manager at Real Madrid, and he would be immediately available because he no longer has a job since leaving the club in 2021. Return to Zidane, however, certainly not a long -term solution for Los Blancos, partly as if the National Team.

2. Andoni Iraola

Andoni Iraola has really made a name for himself in his two seasons in Bournemouth, making him one of the rising management talents of the game. Larger clubs are also absorbing, with its name associated with Tottenham Hotspur’s task if they choose to separate with Ange Postecoglou for the following season. It is logical that Iraola can be mentioned in the coming months or so on the lists of different clubs and that a controversial move away from Bournemouth might rather instead of coming later, but just as it is for Raul, it might be a bit too early in Iraola’s career for a job as big as this.

1. Xabi Alonso

From the moment that Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen was on track last season to win their very first Bundesliga title, the retired Spain International felt like the heir of a handful of jobs in Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, all his former clubs. The first two went a different way last season, which means that it is all perfect for Los Blancos to land Alonso, who is undoubtedly the most impressive young manager in a field of them. His time at Leverkusen has been exemplary, first by taking them out of a relegation struggle and leading them to the title within a period of two years, and in a competition where Bayern is almost impossible to defeat. He has done this by implementing an attractive playing style at Leverkusen and lifting young talents such as Florian Wirtz, ensuring that Leverkusen remains one of Europe’s most exciting teams to watch.

A jump to Real Madrid will be a very different task, both because of the expectations and the pressure that is accompanied by it. A manager of his caliber has to make that jump at one point and he has earned the chance to test himself at this level. The work is his if he wants it – and it is hard to imagine that he does not.