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Real Madrid stars James Rodriguez and Toni Kroos have lead the tributes to Carlo Ancelotti after the Italian was dismissed from his post on Monday.

The Italian was in charge for two years at the Santiago Bernabeu and won four trophies in that time, but paid the price for failing to win La Liga or the Champions League this season. Club president Florentino Perez admitted the decision to sack the 55-year-old had not been an easy one, but the directors want to keep taking the club forward.

As news of Ancelotti’s departure broke, many of the squad took to social media to thank him and wish him well for the future – lead by last season’s high profile signings Kroos and Rodriguez.

The German World Cup winner posted on Twitter: “¡Gracias Mister! It was a pleasure to work  with you! I wish you all the best for the future.”

Rodriguez, who joined the club following his outstanding displays for Colombia last summer in Brazil, used the same social media platform to post a message. It read: “Thank you for everything boss, I soon learned a lot from you.”

Brazilian left-back Marcelo also got involved in the tributes, saying in his Twitter account: “Thank you for everything boss. You are a great coach. Farewell!”

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Carlo Ancelotti has taken to social media to thanks fans for their support after he was sacked as manager of Real Madrid.

The Italian’s departure was announced by Florentino Perez on Monday afternoon, with Ancelotti paying the price for failing to land either the Champions League or La Liga trophies.

Perez said it had been a difficult decision to make but the directors felt the time was right for a new man to take over to continue taking the club forward in its quest for honours.

Ancelotti, who plans to take some time out from the game and will travel to Canada for an operation in the coming months, used his Twitter account to thank Madridistas, saying he will always have wonderful memories of his two years at the Santiago Bernabeu.

“I’d like to keep in mind this two fantastic years at Real Madrid. Thanks to the club, the supporters and my players. #HalaMadridYNadaMas,” he wrote.

Ancelotti took over in the summer of 2013 and in his first season at the club, won the Champions League, ending the 12-year wait for La Decima. He also guided Los Blancos to the Copa del Rey title, and this season masterminded the successes in the European Super Sup and the Club World Cup.

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Florentino Perez, Real Madrid president

Florentino Perez has announced that Carlo Ancelotti will leave Real Madrid this week and the club will reveal the name of the new coach next season.

In a press conference at the Santiago Bernabeu, the Los Blancos president read the following statement: “The Board of Directors have decided to dismiss Carlo Ancelotti as Real Madrid manager. This has been a very difficult decision to make, but we’re not here to make easy decisions. We’re here to make the decisions that we believe are the best for this institution.”

Perez admitted that “Ancelotti has earned the people’s affection and mine, and he’s now part of our history for having won La Decima.” “However, this is a very demanding club, and we believe it’s time to boost things to be more competitive in this new stage,” he added.

Perez confessed he had already spoken to Ancelotti to give him the news: “He’s a gentleman. He understood everything perfectly and will leave strong relationships with all of us.”

Asked about the players who have showed their support for Ancelotti, Perez said he’s not offended: “Players have shown the affection they have for Ancelotti, which is the same I have. It doesn’t offend me and I think they normal every time someone leaves and you have a friendship.”

Perez explained “nobody is to blame for this”. “The manager job is tough and it makes you become deteriorated over time,” he added.

Asked about the future manager, Perez only said “it would be good if the new coach speaks Spanish.”

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Sami Khedira has claimed he was frozen out by Real Madrid after he failed to agree a new contract with the club.

The midfielder has hardly featured for the side since announcing he will not renew his deal at the Santiago Bernabeu – meaning he will leave on a free transfer at the end of the season after five years in the Spanish capital.

The club’s official story is that the 28-year-old World Cup winner has been suffering a serious of injuries meaning he’s been unavailable for selection.

But speaking to popular sports newspaper, Marca, the midfielder said he has been fine to play most of the time, and he’s been hurt by his treatment in recent months.

“I did have a small injury, a pain in my right heel, but that wasn’t why I wasn’t playing,” he stated.

And he added: “It wasn’t a complicated injury, I was able to play. I’ve always felt that I’ve had the coach’s backing, but the message indirectly came through to me that I was no longer needed, I was frozen out and wouldn’t have a chance to continue playing. It’s not the end that I wanted. It hurts that I’m accused of a lack of professionalism because I’ve always put the team ahead of myself. I’ve always gone with the truth.”

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Real Madrid midfielder Asier Illarramendi has said no goodbyes were said in the dressing room at the end of the season, and the players are happy working under Carlo Ancelotti.

The 7-3 win over Getafe is expected to be the Italian’s last game in charge at the club, and he could even depart this week. The 55-year-old is set to pay the price for failing to land any major honours this campaign – despite leading the team to the Champions League, Copa del Rey, European Super Cup and World Club Cup in his first 14 months in charge.

Illarramendi spoke to reporters after the game and gave his support to the boss. “He told us that he has felt really at ease with the whole team but he didn’t say goodbye. In principle he has a contract and if the club doesn’t say anything, he’ll stay. This year hasn’t been very good but the previous year was,” he stated.

He went on to talk about the final match of the campaign and singled out Cristiano Ronaldo for praise after the Portuguese scored another hat trick.

“It was a good way to see out the season in a pretty crazy match, but in the end we won and we’re happy. And the team is thankful to have a player who sets the standard like Cristiano Ronaldo.”

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Real Madrid defender Nacho Fernandez has hit out at some of the treatment dished out by some fans towards Iker Casillas saying the club captain doesn’t deserve any abuse.

In what could have been his final appearance for the club, the 34-year-old, who has won everything there is to win in the game, was jeered by some pockets of the Madridista support.

The voices of discontent have been frequent this season, and it has prompted stories that the keeper is ready for a new challenge, particularly with rumours Los Blancos want to sign David de Gea.

Speaking to reporters after the 7-3 win over Getafe, Nacho said: “He doesn’t deserve what’s happening to him, he’s a symbol of Real Madrid and the mirror that academy players should look at themselves in. He wants to stay here.”

When asked about his thoughts on the campaign overall for the team, he commented: “It was a good way to see out the season, we knew that it was a match to come through and now we have to focus on next season. We’re world champions and European Super Cup winners; we’re not very satisfied but we know that we have given our all. From January, things didn’t come off for us as we’d have liked, but we worked as hard as possible and now we have to focus on next year.”

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Real Madrid’s voracious appetite for success knows no limits. This has been proven by the number of high profile signings made each season in an attempt to stay at the very top of the European football tree.

Madrid’s record tenth European Cup, recorded in 2014, was supposed to usher in a new era at the club. FC Barcelona’s dominance looked to be waning and head coach Carlo Ancelotti had his star-studded side playing the stylish brand of football that is demanded by the Madrid public.

And yet, one year on, Los Merengues’ challenge in La Liga is over—Luis Enrique’s Barcelona team regrouped and rebooted and were, in the end, too consistent to be caught.

The UEFA Champions League Semi-Final defeat to Juventus probably hurt even more. Real Madrid define themselves by their performance in the UCL. In denying the world an “el clasico” final, Juventus have probably set into motion another period of change at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.

And so, Carlo Ancelotti can no longer be assured of a third season at the helm. His calm, gentlemanly demeanour was a much needed remedy to previous manager Jose Mourinho’s brashness. Ultimately, though, Madrid need to usurp Barca. And the Italian has failed to do so this season.

The same methodology is used with the playing staff. A conveyor-belt of talent sweeps in and out of the club with alarming regularity. Not a season goes by where the club is not linked to one of the world’s current biggest stars.

Cristiano Ronaldo remains the jewel in Real Madrid’s crown but two years ago a young Welshman named Gareth Bale started to make great waves in the English Premier League. He was soon snapped up for a record fee and scored the winning goal in the club’s triumphant La Decima.

A year later, the FIFA World Cup in Brazil had been lit up by the performances of James Rodriguez. It was no surprise to see him lining up in a Real Madrid shirt once the new club season began.

And next season? The rumour mill is already building up a head of steam. Zinedine Zidane has been tipped to replace Ancelotti and Manchester United’s star goalkeeper David De Gea looks to have been lined up as the latest galactico to join and replace club legend Iker Casillas. Planet Real Madrid never stops spinning.

From season-to-season, it might be difficult to know which players will be wearing the famous white shirt. There is one guarantee, however. That the demand for high quality, entertaining football must be satisfied. It is that fact which means that tickets to watch Real Madrid at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu are always in such high demand.

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The agent of Napoli boss Rafa Benitez says his client would be delighted if he were to be offered the manager’s job at Real Madrid.

Los Blancos are expected to be on the lookout for a new manager in the coming days with Carlo Ancelotti set to be sacked following the team’s failure to win any major honours this campaign.

A host of names have been linked to the posts, including soon-to-be-free Jurgen Klopp, who is leaving his role as Borussia Dortmund boss, and Zinedine Zidane, currently in charge of the Real Madrid Castilla side.

Speaking to Spain’s Cuatro television station, Manuel Garcia Quilon said Benitez would be delighted with the role. The Madrid-born former Liverpool boss has had a mixed couple of seasons in Seria A and is keen to make the switch back to La Liga or the Premier League.

Quilon stated: “There is nothing at the moment. Just a general rumour. Rafa has been a Madrid player, a Madrid youth coach, and is from Madrid – so who would be upset by that? I am not inside his head, but I would imagine he would be delighted to coach Real Madrid at some time.”

He went on to say no contact has been made by Florentino Perez or the club’s general director Jose Angel Sanchez as of yet, adding that he is ready to take any calls.

“No [talks have happened yet]. I have a good relationship with Florentino and Jose Angel. I imagine if they want something, they will call me,” he commented.

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Real Madrid left back Marcelo says he will come back to the club after the summer raring to go to help the team win major honours next season.

The defender scored in the 7-3 win over Getafe on Saturday – the final game of the season. The players will now go away with their international teams for various fixtures before taking a break and coming back for pre-season in July.

The Brazilian admitted the 2014/15 campaign had been a frustrating one and the Real players are keen to put it right next season.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Marcelo stated: “We conceded three goals in the first half but then we managed to deal with the game well and play good football. I don’t rest just yet, I have to join up with the national team and I will come back raring as always to help Real Madrid.”

When asked about next season and what needs to be done to wrestle the La Liga trophy from Barcelona, Marcelo added: “I try to give my all for the team every season. We haven’t won any silverware but we fought right to the end. Obviously I don’t come away happy having not won anything. We did everything we could.”

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Another day. Another destination for Real Madrid’s Sami Khedira.

Spanish sports paper Marca claims the Los Blancos midfielder is very close to agreeing a free transfer to Italian champions Juventus. The 27-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season and announced a couple of months ago that he is looking to leave the Santiago Bernabeu for a new challenge.

Since then, and indeed prior to that announcement, the World Cup winner has been linked with a host of clubs – with the latest being the side that knocked the holders out of the Champions League this season.

Juventus are looking to replace the aging Andrea Pirlo, while question marks hang over the long-term future of French midfielder Paul Pogba, who has been linked with a move to Madrid previously.

Bundesliga outfit Schalke were among the favourites to sign Khedira among many media outlets, but it appears the Germany international has been put off by the team’s poor showing this campaign. Khedira, who signed for Madrid in 2010, has also been linked with a host of Premier League clubs, including Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United.

All will be revealed in the coming weeks once Khedira has made up his mind. We’ll have to start writing about something else too!

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