Real Madrid have long-term replacement for Ancelotti lined up; could turn to ex-manager as emergency | OneFootball

Carlo Ancelotti finds himself under scrutiny once again this season as Real Madrid fell to a horrific 2-5 defeat to FC Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final.

The Merengues were completely outclassed and outplayed by their bitter rivals for a second time this season, having already lost 0-4 at the Santiago Bernabeu in La Liga.

Naturally, Ancelotti finds himself under pressure after the outcome, with questions being asked about his tactics and team selection.

Xabi Alonso the long-term replacement

As reported earlier, Real Madrid’s confidence in Ancelotti has deteriorated following the latest El Clasico defeat but for the time being his job remains safe.

Any change will likely be considered at the end of the season at which point Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso is seen as the heir apparent to the Italian tactician as per journalist Manu Amor.

Indeed, the former Real Madrid midfielder knows that he will coach the team at some point sooner rather than later and is awaiting developments while having a contract with Leverkusen until 2026.

Meanwhile, Ancelotti will continue to be under scrutiny in the coming weeks. While Real Madrid deeply respect the legendary manager, they expect a swift response in the upcoming tests starting with the Copa del Rey clash against Celta Vigo.

Santiago Solari the stop-gap

Santiago Solari could step in if Ancelotti is axed. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)

It is likely to be a tense week at Valdebebas and if there is no positive response from the team, Ancelotti’s term could come to a premature end, in which case Florentino Perez will likely turn to former manager Santiago Solari as an emergency stop-gap.

Solari, whose previous stint as the first-team manager during 2018/19 was forgettable to say the least, has been fulfilling the role of the director of professional football at the Spanish capital club.

If things go sideways for Ancelotti in the weeks to come, Solari is seen as the likely candidate to step in as caretaker, ahead of Castilla manager Raul Gonzalez.

But the long-term plan is for Xabi Alonso to be installed as the replacement for the Italian tactician.