Brazil-linked Ancelotti signs new Real Madrid deal until 2026

Carlo Ancelotti has agreed to a contract extension to remain coach of Real Madrid until June 2026, the club announced on Friday.

Ancelotti, 64, returned to the club in 2021 for his second term and won a La Liga and Champions League double in his first consecutive season.

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His previous contract was due to expire in June 2024 and the Italian had been repeatedly linked with taking over the Brazil national team job next summer.

A source told ESPN that negotiations over a new contract accelerated after a conversation between Ancelotti and club president Florentino Perez on Thursday.

Ancelotti outlined his conditions for a deal – including his preference for the club to sign a centre-back in January, with Eder Militao and David Alaba out long-term – and Perez agreed to them on Friday, the source said.

The speed of the announcement surprised Ancelotti's camp, the source said.

“Real Madrid and Carlo Ancelotti have agreed to extend our coach's contract until June 30, 2026,” the club said in a statement on Friday.

“During his five seasons as Real Madrid coach, he won 10 trophies: two Champions Leagues, two Club World Cups, two European Super Cups, one league title, two Copa del Rey and one Spanish Super Cup. .

Carlo Ancelotti is the only coach to have won four European Cups and to have achieved the most victories in the history of the competition (118), and he is also the first coach to win all five major European championships (Italy , England, France, Germany and Spain).

Real Madrid are top of La Liga and qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League after topping their group.

Ancelotti had been frequently asked about his future by the media this season, as his contract entered its final months.

“The future is tomorrow's match and then a week of vacation,” he said during his last press conference before Christmas. “My contract expires on June 30, that's the future. When there is news, I will tell you.”

Ancelotti is one of the most decorated managers of all time, having won four Champions Leagues and five league titles during a career spanning almost 30 years in management.

After managing Juventus, AC Milan, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain, he first joined Madrid in 2013, winning the Champions League and Copa del Rey before being fired two years later.

He returned to the Bernabeu in 2021, after interim coaching at Bayern Munich, Napoli and Everton.

Madrid's 2021-22 season was a resounding success – winning La Liga and winning the Champions League after a series of spectacular comebacks – but the following campaign was tougher, missing out on both of those major trophies, while winning the Copa del Rey.

This season, Ancelotti has helped Madrid overcome an injury crisis – with long-term absentees such as Thibaut Courtois, Éder Militão and Vinícius Júnior – to top La Liga at Christmas, level on points with surprise challenger Girona.

Brazilian Football Federation [CBF] President Ednaldo Rodrigues had publicly stated his desire to appoint Ancelotti as national team coach, but Rodrigues was removed from the post by a court earlier this month.

The Brazilian Federation declined to comment when contacted by ESPN.