After Brazil’s 4-1 loss to Argentina in the World Cup qualifiers last March, coach Diniz Junior was sacked. This sparked rumors that Real Madrid’s Carlo Ancelotti would take over as Brazil’s new coach. These rumors gained more credibility when the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) sent representatives to the Santiago Bernabéu on April 16 during the Champions League quarter-final return leg. After Real Madrid’s defeat to Arsenal, many speculated that Ancelotti’s move to Brazil was imminent.
The situation became more apparent last Saturday during the Copa del Rey final when CBF again sent representatives to meet Ancelotti. This ended any doubt about the move, and the media started reporting on it, with ‘The Athletic’ revealing that Ancelotti would indeed leave Real Madrid to become Brazil’s head coach. He is expected to sign a one-year contract initially, running until the 2026 World Cup.
Ancelotti’s current contract with Real Madrid runs until 2026, which was extended in December 2023. Sources from Real Madrid’s training ground have confirmed that Ancelotti has informed the players in the dressing room about his decision to leave the club.
It is expected that Ancelotti will take charge of Brazil after the conclusion of the La Liga season in June. This means he will not be present for the Club World Cup starting on June 14 in the U.S. Real Madrid will now decide who will manage the team in the tournament. If an interim coach is appointed, it’s likely that football director Santiago Solari will take charge. The name of Bayer Leverkusen’s coach, Xabi Alonso, is also being widely discussed for a permanent appointment.
Ancelotti’s son, Davide Ancelotti, is currently an assistant coach at Real Madrid and is looking to begin his managerial career. If he doesn’t get an opportunity at Real, he may join the Brazil national team as an assistant coach under his father.
On April 19, ‘The Athletic’ reported that Ancelotti could leave Real Madrid, with the Brazil national team as his potential destination. CBF has been waiting for this move for a long time, and Ancelotti is considered the president’s “dream” coach. Discussions will continue next week, and if everything goes as planned, Ancelotti will sign a contract with CBF.
CBF sent Diego Fernandez as a representative to meet Ancelotti at the Bernabéu during the Champions League quarter-final return leg, though CBF initially denied the reports. The same businessman was also present at the Copa del Rey final in La Cartuja Stadium and is leading the negotiations for CBF. Alongside Ancelotti, Al Hilal’s coach Jorge Jesus was also discussed as a potential candidate for Brazil’s coach. CBF wants to appoint the new coach before the international break in June.
Real Madrid will now begin their search for a new coach. Alonso’s name has already been discussed in talks with Leverkusen representatives earlier this season. According to ‘The Athletic,’ there’s a possibility Alonso could become Real Madrid’s coach after this season.
Under Ancelotti, Real Madrid has not performed well this season. They are 4 points behind Barcelona, who are leading La Liga. They were eliminated from the Champions League and lost both the Spanish Super Cup and the Copa del Rey final to Barcelona. In January, Ancelotti stated that he would not be the one to decide to leave Real Madrid. However, this season, he has regularly faced questions about his future, and he has made it clear that the decision is in the club’s hands.
Ancelotti first managed Real Madrid from 2013 to 2015, then returned in June 2021 to fill Zinedine Zidane’s position. During his two terms, he won two La Liga titles and three Champions League titles.
