Carlo Ancelotti says he is open to staying at Real Madrid for another 10 years, but has also revealed that he would be interested in coaching the Canada national team.
Ancelotti returned to Santiago Bernabeu for a second spell in charge of Madrid last summer, and has since managed to deliver the club's 35th La Liga title, along with the Supercopa de Espana. Real Madrid is also still alive in the semifinals of the Champions League, trailing Man City 4-3 after the first leg in England.
The Italian became the first manager to win a league title in all five of European major leagues after the Blancos' decisive 4-0 win over Espanyol on April 30, and is happy to continue in his current role for the foreseeable future.
Still, Ancelotti, now 62 years old, also hinted that he has much he would like to do with his family and that calling time on his managerial career would be a window towards enjoying the rest of his life.
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What has Ancelotti said about his future?
Ancelotti, who is under contract at the Bernabeu until 2024, intends to walk away from club management when his time at Madrid eventually ends. The 62-year-old hopes that won't be anytime soon, though, as he told Italian journalist Alessandro Alciato in an interview for Amazon Prime, “After Real, yes, I’ll probably stop. If Real Madrid keep me here for 10 years, I will coach for 10 years."
Ancelotti continued, however, to say that there are many things in life he would like to accomplish on a personal level, hinting that his career could come to an end soon. "I would like to be with my grandchildren, go on vacation with my wife, there are so many things to do that I have left out and that I would like to do. Going to many places I’ve never been. I’ve never been to Australia. I have never been to Rio de Janeiro. Visit my sister more often.
“Unfortunately you cannot do everything, and therefore the day I stop I will have all these things to do."
Milan, Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain have also benefited from Ancelotti's talents on the touchline over the years, but he has yet to coach at international level.
The Madrid boss would like to change that at some stage, and has expressed interest in working with Canada after their successful 2022 World Cup qualification bid.
“Yes, there would be a national team but now it’s premature,” Ancelotti added. “Certainly not for this World Cup. World Cup 2026, why not? Could be. Canada? I’d love to, sure. Canada did very well.”
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Ancelotti bringing his chaos ball to Canada is such a perfect fit for the way we bully opponents at BMO field and wave goodbye to them in the snow.
— Kiyan Sobhani (@KiyanSo) May 3, 2022
Ancelotti backs Benzema for Ballon d'Or
Ancelotti is currently preparing his side for a Champions League semi-final second leg clash with Manchester City at the Bernabeu, where they will aim to overturn a 4-3 aggregate deficit.
Karim Benzema scored twice at the Etihad Stadium to give the Blancos a fighting chance of reaching the final, taking his overall tally in this season's competition to 14 goals from 10 appearances.
The Frenchman was also integral to Madrid's La Liga triumph and has been touted as the leading contender for the next Ballon d'Or award, which Ancelotti believes he would fully deserve.
"Benzema has solved many games for us, he has been decisive this season," Ancelotti said. "At the moment he is one of the most famous players in the world and he maintains a great humility, and I believe that this is his strength.
“He is not winning only for Benzema, behind there is the strong structure of a strong club, and the quality of a high-level squad. He will win the Ballon d’Or."
