Carlo Ancelotti names five Real Madrid players that would make good managers

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has said a number of his players would make good coaches, if they showed enough desire to do the job.

Ahead of Real Madrid’s clash with Alaves on Tuesday evening, Ancelotti gave further hints about who might play in the Champions League final, while also declaring that his ‘honeymoon phase’ with the club was continuing.

He was was also asked which players, aside from Jude Bellingham, which players had surprised him the most.

“Difficult to say. The ones I knew the least, Fran Garcia, who has done well. Joselu and Brahim have also done very well. There are players who could contribute more if I had been able to give them more minutes. Ceballos has not had the minutes he deserved for several reasons, he had an injury and the competition, but he is showing the quality he has in recnent games. Arda Guler could also have played more if it weren’t for the injuries. The squad has surprised me on a general level.”

Ancelotti com Xabi Alonso em 2016:

"Ele quer ser técnico e ele tem todas as qualidades pra ser um bom treinador. Tem conhecimento, experiência, trabalhou 2 anos comigo. É só ele fazer tudo ao contrário do que eu faço que ele será um grande treinador".pic.twitter.com/vp8BAQeEX9

— Curiosidades Europa (@CuriosidadesEU) May 12, 2024

After a clip that went viral of Ancelotti talking about Xabi Alonso’s potential as a manager went viral last week, the Italian was asked whether any of his current squad had the qualities to become one, starting with Luka Modric and Toni Kroos.

“I believe that there is the quality to be a coaches. One can be a coach, but you have to want to be one. Taking into account the difficulties that coaches have, that many players do not want to be one, because they see a lot of responsibility and pressure. Carvajal, Nacho, Ceballos, they have a good tactical understanding, they have the heads for it, Kroos, Modric of course…”

“But, only if,” he paused very deliberately, “they have the desire to be a coach.”

Earlier in the season when it looked almost a given as though Modric might leave Los Blancos this summer, Ancelotti offered the 38-year-old Croatian a spot on his coaching staff, an offer Modric declined. It is believed that he wants to continue playing for longer, whether it be at the Santiago Bernabeu or not.