Real Madrid hope to keep manager Carlo Ancelotti at the club beyond his current contract and could even offer the Italian a new role further down the line, according to a report.
Ancelotti recently snubbed public interest from the Brazil national team to ink an extension with Madrid, with the 64-year-old committing himself to his current employers until 2026 at the earliest.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Madrid are already putting plans in place to keep Ancelotti beyond that date.
Because of his years of service to the club, Madrid are happy to let Ancelotti choose when he leaves the dugout at the Santiago Bernabeu but president Florentino Perez is said to be keen to keep Ancelotti around in a new role even after his management days are over.
Ancelotti is expected to be offered the chance to move into Madrid's sporting department and provisional talks about such a role have already been held.
Madrid have made a point of trying to add loyal servants to the club's backroom staff. Emilio Butragueno has a role at the club, while Santiago Solari - a former player and manager - has recently been appointed the new director of football.
Raul Gonzalez and Alvaro Arbeloa, both former players, now have coaching roles with the club's academy, with the former touted as a potential replacement for Ancelotti before he signed his new contract.
Raul is likely to be considered when Madrid find themselves needing a new manager, as is current Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso. Ancelotti has publicly backed the former midfielder as a potential successor.
