GOAL

Carlo Ancelotti has stressed that he is not in any rush to renew his contract at Real Madrid but does not think his future depends on winning titles.

The coach says he is loving life in the Spanish capital but shied away from committing his future to the Blancos - at least until the summer

The Italian coach took over at the Santiago Bernabeu in the summer of 2013, inheriting Jose Mourinho at the helm, and guided the Blancos to Champions League and Copa del Rey glory in his first season.

This term Madrid sit top of La Liga after 23 games - one point ahead of Barcelona - and put one foot in Europe's last eight with a 2-0 first leg win at Schalke in midweek.

The ex-Chelsea and AC Milan boss gushed gratitude regarding his treatment by the reigning European champions but, despite his deal having passed the halfway mark, with it expiring in 2016, he is refusing to contemplate extending his stay until at least the end of the current campaign.

"Everyone around me has shown me affection - the club, the president, the players," Ancelotti told reporters on Saturday. "I feel valued and comfortable here

"There's no rush for a renewal, I have around eighteen months left. From the day I arrived here I knew I had to win trophies to keep my job; for me is not something new as every team I've coached had the goal of winning titles.

TEAM