An official announcement on Ancelotti is expected before Madrid's last game of the season at home to Real Sociedad on May 25, with the club's former midfielder Xabi Alonso, 43, set to be his replacement.
“I am very fond of \[Alonso\]. I don't have any advice for him because he has all the tools to be a great coach in the future,” Ancelotti said of a player he coached at Real during his first spell in charge.
“The day I arrived, if someone had told me I would win 11 titles in four years, I would have signed \[for\] it in blood. This season hasn't gone well for many reasons. But it has been an unforgettable period.
“I couldn't be Madrid coach for the rest of my life. It comes to an end for many reasons. The club may need a new impetus. I'm not making a big deal out of it.
“A thousand thanks to this club. And we'll carry on. I'll always be a Madrid fan. It's the end of an era. Spectacular. I never thought I'd coach Madrid for six years, and now it's happened.”
**Reuters**