Carlo Ancelotti, the head coach of Real Madrid, has tested negative for COVID-19 and will go to London for the opening leg of Los Blancos’ Champions League quarter-final encounter against Chelsea.
Despite being practically asymptomatic, the Italian coach was unable to travel with the rest of the team on Tuesday because he was still returning positive COVID-19 tests.
In a rematch of last year’s Champions League semi-final, Chelsea will face Real Madrid at Stamford Bridge, with Ancelotti in control.
Last Wednesday, March 30, Ancelotti tested positive for COVID-19 and thus missed Real Madrid’s match against Celta Vigo at Balaidos on Saturday.
In Vigo, his son, Davide Ancelotti, and youth team coach Abian Perdomo were in charge of the team, which won by a narrow 2-1 victory thanks to two successful Karim Benzema penalty kicks.
‘Real Madrid CF informs that our coach Carlo Ancelotti has tested negative for COVID-19 and will go to London this morning to join the first team training camp,’ the club said in a statement.
Ancelotti tested positive for Covid last Wednesday, and he has been secluded at home since then, though it is unknown whether he has been experiencing any symptoms.
Ancelotti will return to the club where he won the double in 2010 before being fired the following year.
Despite Ancelotti’s absence over the weekend, Real returned to winning ways under caretaker manager Davide Ancelotti, who saw off Celta Vigo with two Karim Benzema penalties.
Madrid came into the game fresh off a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Barcelona at the Bernabeu, which came after five straight wins.
Ancelotti’s experience as a manager, having won the Champions League three times, will be essential for the Spanish league leaders as they attempt to upset a squad who knocked them out in the semi-finals last season.
Chelsea advanced to the final with a 3-1 aggregate victory over Madrid on that occasion, when they defeated Manchester City.
