Real Madrid line up Ancelotti replacement

Real Madrid have informed Santiago Solari that he will be the team’s coach this season if the La Liga giants decide to sack Carlo Ancelotti, according to reports.

The Italian’s future at Real Madrid is far from certain. At present, Bayer Leverkusen head coach Xabi Alonso emerging as a top candidate to take over next summer.

However, based on Madrid’s performances this season, the club might not wait that long and could make a managerial change mid-season. And if this was the case. Alonso would be out of reach.

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A report has emerged from Revelo saying that the club have already identified Santiago Solari as the ideal candidate to step in as interim manager if Ancelotti gets the chop.

The Spanish outlet said: “The president [Florentino Perez] has full confidence in Solari’s performance and the club sees him as the ideal person to take charge of such a complex mission which, as was demonstrated days later with the resounding victory against Osasuna (4-0), is totally manageable. We only have to remember that Ancelotti has already been able to overcome other similar problems.

“[Solari] was already interim coach in 2018, he knows the club from his time as a player (from 2000 to 2005) and coach of Castilla (from where he made the jump to replace Julen Lopetegui in the position) and, in addition, he maintains a very close relationship with many of the pillars of the dressing room.

Real will wait for Alonso

Indeed, he came to Real after the dismissal of Julen Lopetegui and it’s thought his familiarity with the team and the club’s structure makes him a natural choice for the position.

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The Argentine was alerted about the possibility of stepping in after Real Madrid’s 3-1 loss to AC Milan and again ahead of the Osasuna clash, though Ancelotti has kept his place so far.

Solari previously coached both Real Madrid and Castilla and is current out of work.