Carlo Ancelotti: Zidane could coach Real ‘today’

Club president Florentino Perez said at a press conference on Monday evening, following a board meeting held in the wake of Real’s 4-0 thrashing by arch-rivals Barcelona in Saturday’s El Clasico meeting in Madrid, that Benitez has “all our support and confidence”.

Following their recent loss to Barcelona, Florentino Perez held a press conference to address the rumors that newly appointed head coach Rafa Benitez would be given the axe.

He has never said to me that with Rafa Benitez we aren’t going to win anything either.

Perez explained the manager “was chosen because of his professionalism, track record, experience and ability to get the very best out of this squad. I have been in football for many years and perfectly understand that two defeats can not result into firing”. “No one can say what will happen in six months”.

Ancelotti helped Real Madrid become European champions for a 10th time in 2014 and he is thankful that Zidane was there to aid him during his first season in charge.

Report that I ate with PSG president and [Jorge Mendes] last Thursday in Madrid is not true.

Spanish media is already discussing who could be Madrid’s next coach, and the name topping the list is former France player Zinedine Zidane, who is coaching Madrid’s “B” team in the third division.

It was surprising to many when Benitez was hired in the first place, especially coming off a disappointing season at Napoli. Things are fine at the moment. He also said opposition was coming from the violent fan groups that he banned from the Bernabeu a long time ago but that continue to “do whatever they could” to undermine the president and his decisions.

Benitez and his squad travel to Shakhtar Donetsk for a Champions League match on Wednesday before returning to La Liga action at Eibar on Sunday, by which time Barcelona could be nine points ahead of them.

Carlo Ancelotti says his successor Rafael Benitez deserves patience at Real Madrid but stated that he would be open to re-joining the Spanish giants.

The notoriously impatient Real supporters chanted for the resignation of Perez during the heavy defeat, with thousands waving white hankies- a signal of their dissatisfaction with how the club is being run.