Will the end be announced soon?: Report: Real Madrid and Ancelotti clarify final details

For weeks, speculation has been rife about Carlo Ancelotti's future at Real Madrid. Now, both sides appear to have reached an agreement. According to a report, the decision will be announced soon.

According to a report by "The Athletic," Carlo Ancelotti has reached a verbal agreement with Real Madrid regarding the terms of his early exit. Ancelotti's departure is expected to be officially confirmed before the end of the Spanish league season.

As the US sports portal further reported, the time could come as soon as this Sunday after the Clásico against league leaders FC Barcelona. The match against the Catalans could be decisive in the battle for the Primera División title. Barça leads the table by four points, ahead of defending champions Real Madrid. After that, there are three more matchdays to go.

Former Real Madrid player Xabi Alonso, whose contract as head coach at Bayer 04 Leverkusen still runs for a year, is considered the hottest candidate for his successor. The main point of negotiation between Ancelotti and the club's management is said to be the severance package the 65-year-old Italian is demanding for leaving Real before the end of his contract. Like Alonso's, his contract is valid until the end of June next year.

Speculation surrounding Ancelotti's departure this summer has been rife for weeks. According to media reports, he has already reached a verbal agreement with the Brazilian federation to take over the struggling national team and coach them at next year's World Cup. The new coach of the record world champions is expected to take charge of the team for the two upcoming World Cup qualifiers as early as the beginning of June.

Ancelotti himself recently emphasized that he would not discuss his future before May 25th—the final matchday in Spain. After some success in his second tenure at Real, including two Champions League triumphs, things have been rather mediocre this season. Real were eliminated in the quarterfinals of the European Champions League by Arsenal and lost both to their arch-rivals Barcelona in the domestic cup final and the Supercopa final.