Real Madrid denies offer to Ancelotti

Madrid - Real Madrid president Florentino Perez today insisted that his club had not made an offer for Paris Saint Germain (PSG) coach Carlo Ancelotti to replace Jose Mourinho.

Speaking almost two weeks after announcing that Mourinho would not continue at Real Madrid, Perez gave the second of a round of interviews on Spanish radio, this time talking to the Cadena Cope, where he was asked about the next Madrid coach, among other matters.

Ancelotti is the clear favourite to replace Mourinho and the Italian has even asked for (and so far been denied) permission to abandon his current club, but despite this, Perez insisted the man, who has also coached Chelsea and AC Milan had no offer from Real Madrid.

“As well as Ancelotti, we have had several coaches approach us through their agents, but we have not reached any agreement with anyone. Ancelotti can’t say he has an agreement with Real Madrid, because he doesn’t have one,” said Perez, who nevertheless added that he “would be delighted,” to sign the Italian, who has a year left on his contract with PSG.

Jupp Heynckes, who led Bayern Munich to the Champions League last Saturday, seems to be the other candidate for the Madrid dugout and Perez will work with former Real Madrid player, Zinedine Zidane in making the sporting decisions.

“Zidane will be in charge, he is the man around who the sporting questions will revolve. He is a Madrid fan and the person who can best lead this project,” said Perez.

Madrid’s rivals FC Barcelona have already moved quickly to sign Brazilian star, Neymar, but Perez urged Madrid fans to be patient.

“This club has always had the best players in the world, it is the model that we have had for years,” he said.

As is usual at the end of a season, Real Madrid have been linked to big name signings this summer, such as Tottenham Hotspurs’ winger, Gareth Bale, Liverpool striker, Luis Suarez and Borussia Dortmund’s Polish international Robert Lewandowski, whose hat-trick helped knock Perez’s side out of the semi-finals of the Champions League, but the Madrid president would not be drawn on names

“They are all very good players, but there isn’t room for everyone, the same as Bale, who is very good, but Tottenham are a club we have good relations with and we respect them a lot,” he said.

Finally Perez admitted that as well as signing new players, his club needed to keep its star player, Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese star has just two years left on his contract and is the centre of rumours of interest from Manchester United, Paris Saint Germain and even Chelsea.

Perez had previously said he would like to see Ronaldo be the best paid player in the world and insisted the club would not be selling their main asset.

“We are a club that pays its players very well and we give them buyout clauses which should be prohibitive. We are not a selling club,” he concluded.