Real could be 15 points behind top spot if Barcelona wins their game in hand against Girona on Monday. Although Ancelotti is under contract with Real until the end of next season and has expressed his desire to remain at the club, a Champions League elimination could jeopardize his future.
The Daily Mail reported that Arbeloa has leapfrogged Raul, the B team head coach, to become a serious contender for the job of Real Madrid's head coach this summer. Arbeloa retired from playing at the end of the 2016-17 season and took up a youth team coaching role in 2020. Real's Under-19s, under Arbeloa's coaching, progressed to the UEFA Youth League quarter-finals earlier this season. However, they were eliminated in the quarter-finals with a 4-0 loss to AZ Alkmaar after beating Red Bull Salzburg 3-1 in the last 16.
Real may also consider appointing Arbeloa as the number two to Jose Mourinho, but such a move may not have unanimous support within the club. Arbeloa enjoyed two separate stints with Real Madrid from 2003-06 and 2009-16, winning a total of nine trophies, including two Champions League crowns. He made 238 appearances for Los Blancos in all tournaments, scoring six goals and providing 15 assists.
Real has identified former Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann as their top target to replace Ancelotti, but the German will not make a decision on his future before the summer. All of Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, and Paris Saint-Germain may also try to hire Nagelsmann, but the 35-year-old is said to prefer a new job in the Premier League.
