Madrid, Jan 21 : Recent rumours have suggested that Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti will be stepping down from his position at the end of the current season, despite his contract running till 2026. The Italian has shut down rumours claiming he will never stay at the club till he is asked to leave and he may even stay for four more years alongside President Florentino Perez.

'I will never decide my departure date from this club, in my life. That day will come, but I don't know when it might be, it's not me who decides. It could be tomorrow after the game, the next one, in a year, or five. I have an advantage and I have an objective.

'We will have Florentino Pérez here for another four years and he, who knows me very well, knows that the objective is to be here for another four years and that we can say goodbye together, with all the love in the world,' said Ancelotti in a press conference.

Real Madrid will be facing RB Salzburg in their penultimate league stage game of the UEFA Champions League at the Santiago Bernabeu on Thursday (IST). It is a 'vital game' for the defending champions as they hope to qualify for the Round of 16 but currently sit well off the top eight spots.

The pressure was truly on for holders Madrid when they faced a tricky-looking trip to Atalanta on Matchday 6 on the back of consecutive defeats to Milan and Liverpool. But as they have done so many times in this tournament, Los Blancos rose up to the challenge to secure an impressive 3-2 win and get their campaign back on track.

Salzburg have endured a challenging campaign so far, with one win and five defeats leaving them in danger of elimination ahead of a difficult final two matches against Real and cross-city rivals Atleti.

"It is an important match because the first phase of this Champions League is almost over. We have to get as many points as possible and see where we stand in the standings. Tomorrow's match is vital in this sense. We will try to play well, as we did in the last one,' he added.

/IANS