Carlo Ancelotti and Luka Modrić said goodbye to the Santiago Bernabéu on Saturday after Real Madrid beat Real Sociedad 2-0 in the team’s last game of the LaLiga season.
Madrid had made the departure of coach Ancelotti — who leaves to take charge of the Brazil national team — official on Friday, a day after announcing that midfielder Modrić, 39, would also be departing this summer.
Modrić, who has won a club record 28 trophies with Madrid, will leave after this summer’s Club World Cup in the United States, where the team will be coached by Xabi Alonso, whose arrival is expected to be confirmed in the coming days.
“It’s been an honour, a pleasure, to coach this club,” Ancelotti said, speaking on the pitch after the final whistle. “It’s an unforgettable story. Nobody will forget Karim [Benzema]’s three goals against Paris Saint-Germain [in 2022]. Nobody will forget Rodrygo‘s two goals against Manchester City [that same year]. Nobody will forget Joselu‘s two goals [against Bayern Munich, in 2024]. And I won’t forget every day I’ve spent here. Ciao.”
Ancelotti is the most decorated manager in Madrid’s history, with 15 trophies won over six years, in two spells.
He had a contract at Madrid until 2026, but a season without a major trophy — missing out to Barcelona in LaLiga and the Copa del Rey, and eliminated in the Champions League quarterfinals — convinced the club to make a change.
Modric has spent 13 years at Madrid, becoming one of the most influential midfielders in the club’s long history. His contract will expire this summer, after Madrid’s involvement in the Club World Cup is concluded.
“The moment I never wanted to come has arrived,” Modric said, speaking to the Bernabéu crowd. “It’s been a long, marvellous journey. I want to thank the club, the president Florentino Pérez, all the coaches I’ve had all these years, my teammates, and all the people who’ve helped me.
“We’ve won a lot, we’ve had marvellous moments, we’ve won a lot of trophies, but the biggest trophy I’ve won has been your affection, and your love. There’s a phrase I like: don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.”
Kylian Mbappé scored twice — once in each half — in Madrid’s win over Real Sociedad, to give Ancelotti and Modric a winning send-off.
The club have already started rebuilding the squad ahead of next season, having announced the signing of defender Dean Huijsen, while ESPN has also reported that they are keen to bring in Trent Alexander-Arnold for the Club World Cup, and hope to sign left-back Álvaro Carreras from Benfica.
