The annual off-season European coaching carousel is really swinging now. Zinedine Zidane left Real Madrid, and did so in a way that certainly torched the bridge behind him. The Frenchman publicly called out his bosses above and said the club had lost faith in him.
Madrid moved fast to find his replacement, as Carlo Ancelotti is set for a second stint with the club. According to various reports, the Bernabeu has reached agreement with Everton on the termination of the Italian’s current deal with the Merseyside club.
Carlo Ancelotti to Real Madrid, here we go! The agreement on the termination of his contract with #EFC is set to be completed, the two clubs are in direct contact then Carlo will re-join Real Madrid. ??? #Real
Expected to be official soon, as per @jfelixdiaz @ellarguero. ???
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 1, 2021
Various outlets are reporting that the deal is agreed to, some are saying it’s finalized or close to it, with an announcement to potentially be made soon.
Ancelotti previously managed Real from 2013-2015, winning one Champions League trophy, a Club World Cup, European Super Cup and a Spanish Cup. While he kept Everton competitive, and usually in the upper half of the table, the 61-year-old wasn’t able to end the trophy drought at Goodison Park.
His 18 month stint ends as the club prepares to move into a new stadium, and is now looking for a new boss again. Eddie Howe, Graham Potter and David Moyes have been linked as potential replacements.
As for Ancelotti at Madrid, he’s inheriting a side that is certainly well below the high standard that has been set in the Spanish capital lately. Real are coming off a second place finish in La Liga, with team captain Sergio Ramos set to move on this summer, and Raphael Varane could be joining him.
It remains to be seen what kind of summer transfer window Los Reyes del Europa have, given the financial situation. Ancelotti may have a bit of a project on his hands.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and SB Nation. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.