It appears that the reports of Carlo Ancelotti exiting Real Madrid have been greatly exaggerated. Or those reports are real, but neither the manager, nor the club wanted word to get out yet.
Ancelotti addressed his future at the club ahead of tomorrow night’s La Liga clash at Getafe: “In football, anything is possible. I’m not surprised by anything, so anything can happen.
Real Madrid at Getafe FYIs
Kickoff: Wed. April 23, Coliseum Stadium, Getafe, Spain
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Google’s Result Probability: Real Madrid 54% Draw 26% Getafe 20%
La Liga Positioning, Form Guide: Real Madrid 2nd, 66 pts WWLWW Athletic Club 13th, 39 pts WLWLL
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He continued:
“I don’t have any grudges against anyone or anything. I love this job. I loved it the first time, and I’m loving this second spell.
“I’d like this to continue as long as possible. If one day it ends, I’ll be grateful and I’ll take my hat off to this club, nothing else.”
The most up to date reports have been indicating that Ancelotti will be leaving by the end of the season, and that talks have begun for the Italian to take the vacant Brazil national team job.
And in terms of candidates to succeed him at Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen’s Xabi Alonso is apparently the favorite right now.
In terms of player injury and fitness news, both superstar forward Kylian Mbappe and left-back Ferland Mendy have been ruled out for tomorrow.
The hope is that both will be back for the El Clasico Copa Del Rey final this weekend.
“They are not ready just yet, but they will train over the next few days,” Ancelotti said of the situation.
“I believe both should be fit by Saturday.”
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter