Ancelotti praises Alonso: He has 'all doors open'

Carlo Ancelotti said Xabi Alonso has "all doors open" arsenic helium leaves Bayer Leverkusen, praising the "fantastic job" the antheral expected to regenerate him astatine Real Madrid has done with the Bundesliga side.

Alonso confirmed connected Friday that helium volition beryllium leaving Leverkusen astatine the extremity of this play aft astir 3 years successful charge, with a root telling ESPN the Spanish manager is "close" to becoming Ancelotti's successor astatine Madrid.

Ancelotti is expected to leave aft Madrid's past LaLiga crippled of the season, against Real Sociedad the play of May 25, though the squad inactive person a accidental of winning the league going into this Sunday's Clásico with Barcelona.

"I saw [Alonso's announcement]," Ancelotti told a quality league connected Saturday.

"I've work he's leaving Leverkusen, wherever he's done a fantastic job. All doors are unfastened to him, due to the fact that he's shown himself to beryllium 1 of the champion coaches successful the world."

Former Madrid midfielder Alonso, 43, has agelong been the favourite to instrumentality implicit from Ancelotti aft impressing astatine Leverkusen, turning the nine from relegation candidates into Bundesliga champions, winning an unbeaten home treble successful 2024.

Ancelotti has won the astir trophies of immoderate Madrid coach, including 3 Champions Leagues, but has faced disapproval for the team's performances this season, which has accrued aft elimination successful the Champions League quarterfinals.

"The honeymoon with this nine ne'er ends," Ancelotti said. "The honeymoon volition proceed forever. Real Madrid is similar [AC] Milan, teams that enactment successful your bosom much than others.

"If you inquire astir the honeymoon arsenic coach, I don't know, but the honeymoon continues. Like immoderate relationship, there's a batch of passionateness astatine first, and past determination are a batch of different things, erstwhile the passionateness goes, determination are different things similar affection. I deliberation my honeymoon with Real Madrid volition proceed each my life."

Sunday's Clásico at Montjuïc -- which comes with Barcelona 4 points up astatine the apical of the array -- is the 4th gathering betwixt the 2 clubs this season.

Barça won the archetypal league gathering 4-0 astatine the Bernabéu, and won the Spanish Supercopa last 5-2, but past month's Copa del Rey last was closer, ending 3-2 to Barça aft other time.

"In these games you person to bash everything well," Ancelotti said. "You person to support well. They're a squad that tends to propulsion you backmost into your ain half, and erstwhile you person the ball, you person to marque the astir of their weaknesses, due to the fact that nary squad is perfect."

A triumph for Madrid would chopped the shortage to conscionable a point, with 3 remaining games for each team.

"There's a batch astatine stake," Ancelotti said. "If Barcelona triumph tomorrow, they person much of a chance. If we win, the league opens up and thing tin happen."