Carlo Ancelotti responds to Real Madrid fallout rumours

Carlo Ancelotti insists he's not fallen out with Real Madrid and that the club's focus is on winning La Liga and the Copa del Rey.

The Italian's future at the Santiago Bernabeu has been splashed all over the gossip columns following a 5-1 aggregate defeat to Arsenal in the Champions League quarter-finals. While that loss, and the manner of it, would be disappointing for any club, it's heightened in Madrid given the expectation is to win every trophy they are competing for.

Numerous reports have suggested a move for Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso is being lined up, with Madrid hoping to appoint him prior to the Club World Cup this summer. They may, however, need to pay the soon-to-be former Bundesliga champions a compensation package of at least €10m (£8.6m) and potentially between €15m to €20m (£12.9-17.2m).

"I've spoken with the players and the club. We're all thinking the same way, which is to keep fighting for the trophies we have left," Ancelotti told the assembled media. "There's no confrontation with the club. We're all in the same boat. Anyone who says there's a confrontation with the club, or the president, isn't telling the truth.

"We're still competing for trophies. We have one [the Copa del Rey final] in a week, and we have the first-ever Club World Cup at the end of the season, it wouldn't be right to do it now. All I can do is thank these players, I've enjoyed this and I want to keep doing so. We're still united, we have a great relationship."

Ancelotti was inevitably asked further questions which he pointedly shut down by saying: "I don't want to talk about my future today. It's an obvious question, but I don't want to talk about it. So all I say is we'll talk about it with the club at the end of the season."

First up on his priority board is beating Athletic Club in La Liga. Following Barcelona's dramatic 4-3 win over Celta Vigo, Real Madrid now trail their bitter rivals by seven points after Hansi Flick's side came from 3-1 down to prevail.

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