Madrid chief backs Ancelotti stay after Copa win

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has said he does not want to hear speculation that head coach Carlo Ancelotti could leave the club this summer.

Madrid clinched the Copa del Rey title with a 2-1 win over Osasuna in the final on Saturday — their 20th Copa del Rey title and first since 2014.

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Ancelotti has been under pressure this season — and been a public target for the vacant Brazil job — amid a disappointing performance in LaLiga that has seen them likely to finish second behind rivals Barcelona. However, with Saturday’s cup victory and a Champions League semifinal clash with Manchester City next week, Perez backed the Italian coach to remain at the Bernabeu.

“I don’t even want to hear about this subject anymore,” Perez said. “He has a contract with us and we are happy.”

Ancelotti’s contract with Madrid lasts until the end of next season, and has said he wishes to remain at Madrid for as long as the club wants to keep him.

Brazil has been without a manager since the end of the World Cup and the Brazilian soccer federation hinted it is willing to wait until the end of the European season to hire its next coach. Ancelotti has thanked Brazil for its interest.

Perez, who had previously not spoken publicly about Ancelotti’s possible departure, came in for some criticism when he hired him to replace Zinedine Zidane in 2021. At the time, Ancelotti was coming off stints with Napoli and Everton and many said he was past his prime.

The doubts were quickly gone, though, with Ancelotti leading the club to trophies in the Copa, Champions League, Spanish league, Club World Cup, Spanish Super Cup and UEFA Super Cup. He is the first coach to help Madrid win all significant trophies possible in a two-season span.

“All I can do is thank this squad, this club and these fans,” Ancelotti said. “We’ve achieved something hugely significant, winning every possible trophy in two years.”

In Ancelotti’s first stint from 2013-2015, Madrid won the Copa, Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup. He now has 10 trophies with the club, behind Zidane (11) and Miguel Munoz (14), who coached in the 1960s and ’70s.

Ancelotti has a chance to draw even with Zidane if he helps Madrid win a second-consecutive Champions League title later this season. The first leg of the semifinals against Manchester City is on Tuesday at the Bernabeu.

Winning the Spanish league for the second year in a row is virtually out of the question as Madrid trails leader Barcelona by 14 points with five matches remaining.

The Copa title was Perez’s 32nd trophy with Madrid, tying him with former president Santiago Bernabeu.