Carlo Ancelotti reiterates desire to stay at Real Madrid until end of contract

Speculation continues to swirl regarding the 63-year-old's long-term future at the Santiago Bernabeu, with his contract due to expire at the end of next season.

Ancelotti has been strongly linked with the vacant Brazil job, and the Italian recently acknowledged that he is "very excited" to learn of interest from the South American giants.

A potential return to Chelsea has also been mooted for Ancelotti, who won the Premier League, FA Cup and Community Shield during a two-year spell in charge at Stamford Bridge between 2009 and 2011.

An encounter against the Premier League outfit is up next for Real Madrid as they prepare for the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie against Frank Lampard's men on Wednesday.

Ahead of the contest in the Spanish capital, Ancelotti has responded to the latest rumours about his future and insists he is happy to see out his contract with Los Blancos.

Speaking to Italian news outlet Rai Radio 1, as quoted by The Mirror, Ancelotti said: "The future of Carlo Ancelotti? There is a nice saying that goes well for the case: the wind takes the chatter. And that's right, I have a contract until June 30, 2024 and I would like to respect it.

Ancelotti has also revealed that his son and assistant coach Davide Ancelotti is taking his coaching badges, adding: "[Davide] is finishing the UEFA Pro coaching course in Wales, he will finish in May, then he will be able to coach any type of team.

"It won't be Basel, because they feel good here and we want to stay here. The day that he will want to start on his account, I think he will do it and also well."

Asked about Real Madrid's chances in this season's Champions League, Ancelotti said: "We believe that we can win it, knowing that each game is a difficult, tough and unpredictable obstacle. The Champions League is like that. All eight teams want to reach the final in Istanbul.

Ancelotti became the first-ever manager to win four Champions League titles when he guided Real Madrid to glory in last season's competition, his second with the Spanish giants after success in the 2013-14 season during his first spell in charge.

Ancelotti has also won one La Liga title, one Copa del Rey, two UEFA Super Cups and two FIFA Club World Cups during his time as Real Madrid boss, but a drop-off in this season's La Liga - sitting 13 points behind leaders Barcelona - has led to speculation over his future.

A host of names have subsequently been linked with taking the reins at the Bernabeu ahead of the 2023-24 campaign, and a recent report claims that former Real Madrid right-back and current Under-19s coach Alvaro Arbeloa has emerged as a serious candidate to succeed Ancelotti should the Italian depart the club.

Julian Nagelsmann and Mauricio Pochettino - who are both currently out of work - have also been linked with the Real Madrid job along with the likes of Arsenal's Mikel Arteta and Liverpool's Jurgen Klopp.