Carlo Ancelotti has been relieved of his duties as Real Madrid manager after two years in charge.

The move to dismiss the Italian comes as no surprise after a disappointing 2014/2015 season in which they got knocked out at the semi-finals stage of the Champions League at the hands of Juventus and lost out on the La Liga trophy for the third year in a row.

As a result, the club have now confirmed the sacking of the man that won four trophies for the Los Blancos in 2014.

Perez said: “I want to tell you that we have decided to relieve Carlo Ancelotti of his duties as Real Madrid coach. It’s been a very difficult decision for the board but as I always say, we haven’t come here to take the easy decisions but the best decisions for the institution.

“Carlo Ancelotti in these two years, has won the affection of the board and my personal affection and that of the fans. Carlo is part of our history. But as we all know, in Madrid the demands are great. We think it’s time for a new impulse which can allow us to win new titles and achieve our maximal level of competitiveness.

“With our great team, talent and hard work we can give satisfaction and success to our fans. I want to thank Carlo for his hard work in the last two years and tell him this is still is house and home. Next week we will know the name of the new coach of Real Madrid.”

Napoli manager Rafa Benitez is rumoured to be favorite to replace Ancelotti as Real Madrid manager.