Carlo Ancelotti reveals how he returned to Real Madrid for a second spell

Carlo Ancelotti has managed Real Madrid twice, with his second stint beginning in 2021. The Italian coach recently shared how his return to the club came about.

Details: Speaking on the podcast The Rest Is Football, Ancelotti revealed that a year before his second appointment at Real, he was managing Everton and had inquired whether Madrid were selling any players. That inquiry eventually led Everton to sign James Rodríguez.

A year later, Ancelotti received another call from Madrid—and this time, he asked whether they had already found a new coach. When told they hadn’t, he offered himself for the job.

Quote: “A year before my second return to Real Madrid, I called them to ask if they had any players available for transfer. That’s how I ended up signing James Rodríguez.

The following year, around the same time, I called again and asked if they’d found a good coach. They said no and asked who might fit the role. I told them, ‘Have you forgotten what we achieved in 2014?’ I could only do it for Real,” Ancelotti shared.

Reminder: Cameras recently captured Vinícius Júnior’s reaction to being substituted, and it was later revealed what the Brazilian forward actually said in that moment.